A couple in Edmonton has been mistakenly receiving faxes containing confidential financial information from the Bank of Montreal (BMO) for more than three years, Â鶹´«Ã½ has learned.
The documents, which include detailed personal banking records and credit card numbers, were meant to go to BMO's Fraud and Investigations division.
Instead, they ended up being sent to the fax machine at Jean and Rob Tate's supply shop.
"At first we assumed it was human error," Jean told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.
But it became alarming when the Tates noticed the faxes were being sent from different locations.
The couple shredded the first few faxes but notified BMO when the problem persisted.
"They thanked us profusely for the information and indicated that it was probably human error but that they would look into it and make sure that it didn't happen again," said Jean. "It did stop for a short time, however, they continued shortly after."
Among the BMO customers whose banking information ended up on the Tate's fax machine was Mark Arsenault from Edmonton.
"It's really upsetting to know that this much information was being faxed, especially to the wrong place," Arsenault told CTV Edmonton reporter Deb Shiry, as he looked in shock at the number of pages containing his confidential banking information that were faxed to the wrong place.
Arsenault's BMO account was skimmed as the result of stolen debit card information. It was that file which BMO meant to send to its fraud and investigation division, but faxed instead to the Tates.
"Having to find out from you guys instead of the bank is just ... I'm really taken aback by that," Arsenault told CTV Edmonton.
The Tates were also sent a fax pertaining to one of Canada's largest construction firms, Lockerbie and Hole Contracting Ltd.
"We are very concerned if confidential information has gone to a third party outside the bank. We are looking into this," the company said in a written response.
CEO Gordon Panas told CTV Edmonton that Lockerbie and Hole has been dealing with BMO since 2000 and has had no problems.
"He says while this situation doesn't call for any harsh action, he is waiting for an explanation from the bank as to how this situation could have happened," reported Shiry.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner told CTV it's aware of the situation.
"Anytime that a breech involving Canadians' personal information (occurs it) is of grave concern to our office," said spokesperson Florence Nguyen, who added: "This is not the first time that an incident like this one has happened involving a major bank."
In 2004, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce apologized after mistakenly sending information pertaining to hundreds of its customers to a scrap yard operator in West Virginia over a three-year period.
Meanwhile, after receiving the faxes for three years now, Rob Tate says he's worried about his own banking information.
"I was a little concerned, for sure, seeing as I have my business account through the BMO and definitely it was a little scary seeing that the information was getting out there that easily," he said.
The BMO declined an interview request but in a statement today the bank says there are only four clients involved.
"We sincerely apologize to the customers that may have had their information inadvertently sent to the wrong location and will immediately contact any customer whose banking information was compromised," the bank said in a release yesterday.
The Tates say, however, that there have been many faxes over the years involving a lot more accounts.
Anyone concerned can contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner's office, toll free, at 1-800-282-1376
With a report from CTV Edmonton's Deb Shiry
