Last September, photocopies of passports and customer information sheets belonging to 47 Transat travelers were stolen in Spain, forcing the tour operator to urgently report the incident to the Quebec Commission for Access to Information (CAI), it has been revealed The newspaper.
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Despite the sensitivity of the stolen data, Transat does not plan to compensate affected customers.
The mishap was due to “an unfortunate incident in which a group tour guide’s bag was stolen at the destination,” explains Andréan Gagné, spokesman for Transat.
“While this method is widely used in the group travel industry and is offered on a voluntary basis, we have revised our practices in accordance with the new requirements of Bill 25,” she adds.
The personal information page of the passport contains several pieces of information that can help fraudsters create a false identity. Photo provided by the Government of Canada
In the Journal, Transat states that it was common practice for an accompanying guide from Canada to collect and store photocopies of passports “to provide travelers with additional assistance and quick and efficient assistance in the event of an emergency.”
For Christophe Serrano, owner of the Voyages Super Prix and Voyages en Direct agency in Montreal, Transat is far from being the only one in the industry to act in this way.
“It is common practice to make photocopies of passports, so I understand Transat. It's always good to have a copy to interact with customers. This often happens with the consent of customers elsewhere,” he notes.
False identity
The bag was stolen from a Spanish hotel on September 22nd.
Has an investigation been launched? “The local authorities were of course called to the scene and followed their protocol,” assures Transat.
For the Quebec company, the story is closed as it was “disclosed and processed in accordance with the necessary regulatory procedures and handled with all due care and to the satisfaction of the affected customers.”
But according to cybersecurity expert Steve Waterhouse, this theft could have consequences for those affected.
“These photocopies have no sales potential, but fraudsters can take the information and then supplement it via social networks,” he explains.
“Has Interpol forwarded the results of the investigation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)?” The question arises,” the specialist wonders out loud.
When questioned by Le Journal, the RCMP declined to comment on investigations by other agencies or police services.
►Between September 22, 2022 and March 31, the Commission d'access à l'information du Québec (CAI) received more than 218 incident reports. 38% of cases involved access to personal data that was not permitted by law. The most common causes were cyberattacks (24%), followed by ransomware (13%) and human error (13%).
Who can request a photocopy of their passport?
“There is no obligation to provide passport photocopies to a travel company,” reminds the Commission for Access to Information (CAI). This valuable document is only required to identify yourself abroad or at the borders.
“The customer should not hesitate to inquire if the company needs to request this document: why does it need the requested information?” It is also recommended to ask questions about the retention, use and destruction of the personal data collected.
If the customer believes that a company has not complied with the law, they can complain to the Commission for Access to Information (CAI).
“A Sesame for Pirates”
In recent days, several experts told the Journal that people should show their passport or a photocopy of it with great caution.
“The passport is a gateway for pirates,” summarizes Stéphanie David, data protection and personal data lawyer at Dubé Latreille Avocats.
“Photocopies of passports should be kept in a locked safe with a code that only one person has,” she emphasizes.
“There is a difference between confirming a person's identity and retaining a photocopy of their passport. This document has a unique number in addition to the date of birth, which makes it more sensitive,” notes Éloïse Gratton, privacy and personal data protection lawyer at BLG.
Lawyer Stéphanie David believes that passport photocopies should be treated like original passports. Photo provided by Dubé Latreille Avocats
This information is classified as “sensitive personal information,” recalls lawyer Stéphanie David.
According to Paul Laurier, a former investigator for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), passport copies can be used to create false identities in less verified countries. Fraudsters can then use the information to create a puppet identity using social networks and commit various crimes.
“For example, people can be accused of making transactions that they never made,” analyzes the expert trained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Great caution
Manon Martel, director of the Canadian Association of Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACAVCV), says she takes managing her clients' personal information very seriously.
Manon Martel, director of a major travel agency association, believes that protecting personal data is crucial in her industry. Photo provided by the Canadian Association of Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors
“The person who has photocopies of passports always keeps them safe in their room,” she assures.
“When a passenger sends the passport photocopy, we do not send the copy but the information to the tour operator. As soon as we transfer the document, we destroy the email,” she explains.
At CAA-Quebec, tour group leaders don't ask about this.
“Certain hotels on the itinerary for group travel in certain countries require you to have passports on hand to confirm the identity of travelers,” explains spokesman Nicolas Ryan.
“A good practice is to never leave your passport unattended with a stranger. This therefore also applies to a photocopy of your passport. It can still be a good practice to keep a photocopy of the passport, albeit in digital format, to avoid losing it in the same way as your physical passport,” he concludes.
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