Think before you click the link: Kinsmen warns hackers nabbed donor data

Kinsmen Foundation says contact information may have been exposed and is warning donors to watch for suspicious emails.

The Kinsmen Foundation of Saskatchewan says it’s been involved in a cyber incident, and hackers gained access to the personal information of donors.

In a message to donors on Wednesday, Kinsmen said it notified police as soon as it discovered its systems had been breached, and it engaged third party security firm Cyberscout to investigate and to help beef up its security processes.

Kinsmen has sent notice to donors that their personal information may have been accessed, including their name, email address, telephone number, home address and their donation amounts.

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The charitable organization, which runs the annual TeleMiracle fundraiser broadcast on CTV, is asking people to exercise caution if they receive a text or email they don’t recognize, and even ones that say they’re from a trusted source.

“We understand from experts that email and other cyber fraud are consistently on the rise in Canada,” said Danika Dinko, Kinsmen Foundation’s executive director.

“With this in mind, we recommend you stay vigilant when responding to suspicious emails or text messages claiming to be from the Foundation, TeleMiracle, or any other party.”

Kinsmen says anyone who has questions about the situation can call 833-787-1973, or email [e-mail].

“During this time, we want to assure you that our team’s focus remains clear: we are committed to helping improve the quality of life and independence of Saskatchewan residents.”

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