Freedom Mobile reports breach involving customer information

Major Canadian wireless carrier Freedom Mobile has confirmed that its customer account management system was compromised after attackers used a subcontractor's account to access personal information, BleepingComputer reports.

The breach was detected on October 23, but Freedom did not specify how many customers were affected. Exposed data includes names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, and Freedom Mobile account numbers. The company said that corrective steps were taken quickly, including blocking suspicious accounts and IP addresses. Freedom said it has not found evidence of misuse but urged customers to be careful with unexpected messages asking for personal details or directing them to unfamiliar websites.

Customers were also advised to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from questionable texts or emails, and to keep an eye on their accounts for odd behavior. A spokesperson stated that operations were not impacted and that "this is not a ransomware type of incident." Freedom experienced a separate breach in 2019 involving about 15,000 customers.