Canadians Can Now Claim Up to $5,000 from $8.7M Data Breach Settlement
The claims window has opened for Canadians whose CRA accounts were compromised in 2020, allowing eligible victims to seek a share of an $8.7 million settlement.
A settlement of $8.7 million resolves a class-action lawsuit stemming from a 2020 cyberattack that infiltrated Canada Revenue Agency and other government accounts, stealing data such as social insurance numbers and bank details. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat described the agreement as fair and reasonable, noting it does not admit wrongdoing. KPMG, acting as the settlement administrator, outlines three compensation tiers: up to $80 for mere unauthorized access, up to $200 if the data was fraudulently used, and up to $5,000 for out-of-pocket identity-theft costs.
To qualify, claimants must have experienced unauthorized access between March 1 and Dec 31 2020, with payment eligibility focused on incidents from June 15 to Aug 13 2020. Interested parties can submit claims online, download a form, or email KPMG, with the deadline set for Feb 3 2027. Any unclaimed funds will be donated to the Privacy and Access Council of Canada for privacy research.