NOTICE TO MEMBERS - UPDATE
Our partner Desjardins informed us in the afternoon of June 20, 2019, that the personal information of 2.9 million of their members was disclosed to individuals outside Desjardins. This situation was caused by a malicious employee at Desjardins, who has since been dismissed. Obviously, a police investigation is in progress.
154 UNI members are affected by this leak of personal information. UNI is currently contacting each of these members to inform them of the measures taken by Desjardins on behalf of UNI.
Moreover, some 4,230 mixed Desjardins/UNI members are also affected, but Desjardins is already handling their case.
To reassure our affected customers, we are taking all appropriate measures to mitigate any impact as follows:
- Customers will not suffer any financial loss for unauthorized transactions made under their UNI accounts due to confirmed identity theft resulting from this situation.
- In the event of identity theft, we will provide all necessary support to our members. UNI will guide them through the identity restoration process.
- They will get to sign up for a five-year credit monitoring and identity theft insurance plan, free of charge. This service includes daily access to your credit report, activity alerts and identity theft insurance.
Only those concerned will receive the details of the support plan by mail.
If you receive a letter from our partner Desjardins
That means you're one of the impacted members. We're offering you 5 years of credit monitoring and identity theft insurance from Equifax at no charge to you.
Equifax
- The service includes daily monitoring of your credit report, activity alerts and identity theft insurance.
- Your personal activation code is in the letter you received. You have until December 31, 2019, to activate the service on Equifax's website. The letter also provides Equifax's telephone number for you to call should you require assistance using the activation code.
- Please note that you'll need an e-mail address to activate the service.
- To find out more about how to sign up for the Equifax monitoring service, see the Desjardins guide.
New options to sign up for the Equifax credit monitoring plan
Members may call our partner Desjardins at 1-800-224-7737 to activate their credit monitoring plan if they?re having problems signing up online or over the phone with Equifax. Soon, members who wish to do so will also have the option of signing up directly through AccèsD online or on the mobile app.
If you have questions or concerns, you can reach us at 1-800-224-7737 seven days a week between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Important information
Desjardins has confirmed that:
- The passwords of AccèsD users (individual and business members), security questions and PIN numbers have not been compromised.
- UNI and Desjardins are not victims of a cyberattack and their computer systems are not affected by this situation in any way.
However, look out for e-mails and text messages you may receive asking for personal information: Like Desjardins, UNI never sends unsolicited e-mails or text messages asking you for personal information.
FRAUD PREVENTION
Be on your guard!
We have become aware of an increased number of fraudulent e-mail messages, telephone calls and SMS/text messages appearing to come from UNI or Desjardins. The purpose of these communications is to damage your devices or obtain your personal information.
For your security, do not click on these messages and then delete them.
If you receive an unusual telephone call from someone claiming to represent UNI or Desjardins, do not provide any personal information, and hang up.
Here are some additional tips and resources to help you become more aware of common fraud scams and strategies along with preventive measures that you and your family and friends can take to protect against identity theft.
Fraudsters do not discriminate
Fraudsters do not care about your background, age or income. Fake lotteries, Internet fraud, get-rich-quick schemes and miracle cures are just some of the favourite scams fraudsters use to steal your money, and new scams appear every day.
By identifying, deterring and reporting fraud, you are helping to keep the market safe for you and your loved ones.
Golden rules for fighting fraudsters
- Is someone asking you to give them money or provide personal information or offering you a dream job? Before you commit, get advice from someone you trust.
- NEVER give money or personal information and NEVER sign anything before investigating the background of the company you are dealing with.
- Do not rely on glowing reviews! Look for concrete evidence of the company's success.
- Never accept offers or enter into transactions on the spot. If you think you are being offered a genuine opportunity, take the time to seek advice from someone you trust before doing anything, and insist that you be given time to consider the offer.
- Remember that there is no such thing as a true get-rich-quick scheme—usually only the scammers come out winning.
- If you want to visit a website, access it directly instead of clicking on links provided in an e-mail message.
- NEVER send money or credit card/bank account information to someone you do not know and trust.