Aeroplan numbers, personal information leaked in LCBO data breach

LCBO dealing with second data breach in 2023 The LCBO says an unauthorized party accessed the information of people who signed up for its promotional emails.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) says customers' personal Information has been compromised in a data breach – for the second time this year.

The provincial Crown corporation said it learned an unauthorized party gained access to LCBO subscriber data on Aug. 9 and sent an email informing impacted customers on Wednesday.

The LCBO sends promotional emails through a third-party service provider called Conversion Digital. As a result, customers who signed-up for these promotions may be impacted.

That data breach primarily includes first names and email addresses. However, other information provided when signing up for promotional emails, including date of birth, postal code, and Aeroplan number, may also have been affected.

The LCBO clarified that passwords and financial details – including credit and debit card information – were not involved in the leak.

Since the liquor store is a government agency, the LCBO said the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has been notified.

In January, a cybersecurity incident knocked out the LCBO’s website and mobile app after an unauthorized party embedded "malicious code" on its website to obtain customer information.

The LCBO is pausing promotional emails while a third-party investigation takes place.

In the meantime, the Crown corporation is asking customers to take extra caution with unsolicited emails containing links, attachments, or requests for financial information.