Freedom Mobile breaks its silence about a breach that dates back to late October. The carrier detected suspicious activity on October 23 within its customer management platform, which allowed hackers to access the personal information of several subscribers. How many exactly? Freedom isn’t saying.
What we do know is that the hackers gained entry through a contractor’s account. Once inside, they were able to view customers’ names, addresses, birthdates, phone numbers, and Freedom account numbers. Freedom quickly blocked the compromised accounts and IP addresses involved, but the damage had already been done.
At least no banking data was stolen
On the bright side, payment information and passwords were not compromised. Freedom emphasized this in its statement, reassuring customers that there is “no reason to believe” the data has been used maliciously.
Still, such personal information can be exploited later. With a name, address, and account number, creating a convincing scam becomes easy. Imagine receiving a message that says, “Hello Mr. X, we’ve detected an issue with your Freedom account #789456.” That sounds much more believable than a random generic text.
Freedom therefore reminds customers of the basics: be cautious of unexpected messages asking for personal information. The company insists it will never ask for credit card numbers, passwords, or PINs by email or text. Don’t click suspicious links, don’t download strange attachments, and keep an eye on your statements for unusual activity.
These are tips we’ve all heard before, sure. But when your personal data may be circulating somewhere on the dark web, they suddenly hit closer to home.
Worried customers can contact [email protected]. The RCMP’s cybercrime website also offers ways to report fraud and find helpful resources.
This incident joins a growing list of security breaches among Canadian telecoms. No one is truly immune, even the biggest companies with dedicated security teams. What matters now is that customers remain vigilant in the months ahead.
