Manitoba Hydro has advised a small number of its customers that non-financial information related to their accounts may have been used by a former employee to obtain fraudulent credit cards. A total of 903 customers have been notified that the former employee had accessed their accounts. No evidence exists to indicate any of the information of most of the customers was used for fraudulent purposes. The individual did not have access to any customer banking or financial information.
An in-depth investigation involving recovery of all the individual’s computer activity and an electronic sweep of outbound electronic transmission during the individual’s 17-week employment term has determined that access was limited to 903 accounts.
It has also been determined that the individual gained employment at Manitoba Hydro through the use of stolen identity. At the time of hiring, the individual whose identity had been stolen was not aware of the identity theft and had therefore not reported it. Had the hiring been carried out later, a risk assessment which was conducted on the employee as part of the screening process would have alerted Manitoba Hydro that the individual was using a fraudulent identity, and the individual would not have been hired.
During the term of employment, the individual’s access to customer information was limited to non-financial, basic information including the account holder’s name, address, telephone number, spousal names, and place of employment. During the same period, the individual held a part-time job with a business that solicited credit card applications. Working together with the business to investigate this incident, Manitoba Hydro has determined that a small number of credit card applications solicited by the individual contained information which fully or partially replicated basic Manitoba Hydro account information.
Manitoba Hydro has offered to arrange credit watch services for the 903 customers impacted by this incident. The Corporation is also working with the Winnipeg Police Service in this matter.
