Interior Health wants to get in touch with people who worked for them from 2003 to 2009 to find out if their personal information was recovered in an RCMP investigation.
IH officials said Vernon North Okanagan RCMP found a document during an investigation containing the personal information of over 20,000 Interior Health employees.
This includes current and former IH employees, with names, birth dates, social insurance numbers, home addresses, phone numbers, and the individuals’ age in 2009.
Interior Health officials said the document did not include any patient information.
“Interior Health’s top priority is to ensure that personal information is always protected. We are reaching out to employees who worked for us during these years to ensure that if their information is involved, that they receive supports, including credit monitoring, if they are part of this investigation,” said Brent Kruschel, IH vice president of digital health.
Anyone who worked for Interior Health from 2003 to 2009 is asked to contact 1-833-705-2569 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. PDT Monday to Friday to find out if their information is contained in the document and if so, what steps they can take to protect their personal information.
“No arrests or charges have been made in relation to this information,” said Constable Chris Terleski, Media Relations Officer for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. “As part of the continuing investigation, we are releasing this information so potentially impacted individuals can take the necessary steps to safeguard themselves. It is a timely reminder that identity fraud continues to be a persistent threat in our community and brings to light the importance of taking proactive steps to safeguard yourself. You can significantly reduce your risk by educating yourself and staying informed about common fraud schemes and tactics, regularly monitoring your credit, and routinely reviewing financial accounts for any unusual activity.”
IH officials said they also hired external security to review the situation and confirmed that this information is not on the dark web.
“If you or someone you know is a victim of a fraud, contact your local police service to report the crime and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) online or toll-free at 1-888-495-8501,” said Interior Health. “If a financial loss did not occur, still report it to the CAFC.”