Desjardins data theft: mediator Mathieu Juncas guilty

Matteo Junkas, a suspect in the robbery in Desjardins, was found guilty of purchasing lists containing sensitive data of “150,000 to 200,000” people without ensuring that their consent was obtained and not revealing certain information.facts during his interrogation.

• Read also: Desjardins Group: Another employee fired after reviewing the data

On Monday, the Disciplinary Committee of the Specialized Body of the Immobilization Court of Quebec (OACIQ) issued its ruling in the case of the Quebec mediator, whose hearing took place in the spring of 2021.

“The commission has no doubt that information regarding an individual’s financial status is confidential,” the 52-page document reads.

This decision relates solely to the guilt of Mathieu Junkas. Disciplinary penalties will be determined at a later time, at another hearing. The defendant faces fines of between $2,000 and $50,000 per count.

Mathieu Juncas has been the target of two complaints since 2020. The first is to buy “in 2016 or 2017,” as a mortgage broker, lists of potential clients, “without worrying or making sure they agree to the transfer of their personal data.”

During the hearing, Mathieu Juncas’ attorney tried to prove that most of the data available in these lists was publicly available or that it could have been calculated from a person’s age.

However, the Commission does not believe that it is possible to obtain revolving credit from an individual without going through his borrower or financial institution.

“The [Mathieu Joncas] It tells us that the information […] Regarding revolving credit is unnecessary and unimportant because one does not know what the numbers represent. In our opinion, this statement by the defendant has no basis or credibility,” the commission replied.

“In a context where a defendant wanted to buy a list of clients who had mortgages from Desjardins, but also with bad debts, why would a smart businessman like the defendant pay $100,000 for a list of absolutely worthless information regarding personal debts from potential clients? ?” he asks himself.

The commission also does not believe it is a coincidence that Matthew Junkas emptied his computer in June 2019, the same period when Desjardins publicly disclosed the data theft.

During her testimony in the spring, Julie Bennett, OACIQ’s auxiliary union, argued that Mathieu Juncas had admitted buying data from Jean-Loup Lullier Mas, another suspect on file in Desjardins. This information included the mortgage balance, mortgage rate, disability and life insurance premiums.

Matthew Junkas was going to spend “$1” to buy the first 50,000 names and pay “40 cents” for every other name. The total bill was between $90,000 and $110,000.

Attorney Matthew Juncas, M^NS Olivier Desjardins, said to magazine, Wednesday, that he was studying his possibilities with his client and that there is a “strong chance” to appeal the ruling.

conflict of interest

The second complaint addressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest between Matthew Junkas’ role at a mortgage brokerage and his position as a shareholder in a private loan firm.

In particular, the Disciplinary Committee ruled that the broker effectively placed itself in a conflict of interest situation in two cases. However, he was acquitted of the alleged “negligence or refusal” charge to provide certain documents in connection with this second complaint.

No criminal charges have yet been brought in connection with data theft from millions of Desjardins members.

So far, broker Marc-Olivier Tanguay has had to pay a $5,000 fine for buying confidential information on 5,000 people, and savings and insurance broker François Bellargon Bouchard, who paid $40,000 to buy the listings, has received a $30,000 penalty from the Financial Security Chamber’s Disciplinary Committee.

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