Former employees apply for class-action lawsuit against Interior Health over stolen identities

Two former employees have recently filed a class action lawsuit against Interior Health in the B.C. Supreme Court, alleging that the employer was reckless and attempted to hide the true extent of a data breach that led to the theft and sale of personal information of thousands of employees on the dark web. The lawsuit, filed on May 22, claims that the affected individuals were not given the opportunity to adequately protect themselves, resulting in ongoing consequences.

According to Justin Giovannetti, the lawyer representing the former employees, the impact of the data breach has been life-altering, with stolen identities being used for fraudulent purposes. The lawsuit has not yet been certified, and none of the allegations have been proven in court. Interior Health has not responded to the lawsuit as of now.

The breach reportedly occurred around December 2009, affecting employees who had worked for Interior Health between 2003 and 2009. Despite the passage of time, the full scope of the breach has not been fully disclosed. One of the plaintiffs, Rae Fergus, only became aware of the breach after being informed by a former colleague, while the other plaintiff, Susan Shaw, learned about it through a news article in April 2025. This was when it was revealed that personal information such as social insurance numbers, birth dates, and home addresses had been posted online for sale on the dark web.

Following media reports of the breach, Interior Health released a public statement outlining the steps taken to reach out to affected employees. The organization stated that it had discovered the potential breach in January 2025 after being informed by the RCMP about the theft of an employee’s personal information. Interior Health offered two years of credit monitoring to those affected and encouraged former employees to contact a toll-free number to determine if they had been impacted.

Giovannetti emphasized the need for extended credit monitoring for the affected individuals due to the potential long-term impact of the leaked information. If the lawsuit is certified, those affected will have the opportunity to opt out but will otherwise be represented in the case. He urged anyone who worked for Interior Health between 2003 and 2009 to check if they had been affected by the breach and to take necessary steps to protect themselves.

The lawsuit highlights the financial and mental toll that data breaches can have on individuals and underscores the importance of proactive measures to safeguard personal information in the digital age.