If you use PlayNow in Sask., Manitoba or B.C., hackers may have your password
The company that runs a regulated online gambling website in Saskatchewan, B.C. and Manitoba says hackers have gained access to some of its customers’ passwords.
The B.C. Lottery Corporation (BCLC), which operates PlayNow.com, is encouraging customers to update their pass phrase after it detected a “suspicious” surge in traffic on July 24.
BCLC says the traffic turned out to be the result of “credential stuffing.” Since many people use the same email address and passwords across different online services, hackers were able to use leaked login information from other companies to access accounts on PlayNow.
“We do find this very concerning,” said Matt Lee, a spokesperson with BCLC.
“Obviously a very unfortunate incident and one that we continue to investigate,” Lee said.
He said the account breach impacted less than one per cent of its player base.
“Of that one per cent, an even a smaller subset of players were actually financially impacted from that,” he said.
Lee said the company is working with impacted players to “rectify the situation.”
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner and RCMP have been notified, according to BCLC.
“There were a small number of Saskatchewan residents that were impacted by this particular incident, (but) the majority of the impacts were in British Columbia,” Lee said.
He said safety and security is still the company’s top priority.
“We're also taking this incident as an opportunity to re-evaluate the security controls we have in place on PlayNow.com, to potentially enhance that security even further,” He said.
PlayNow operates in B.C., Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in partnership with local gambling and lottery authorities.
-With files from CTV’s Meagan Gill and Rory MacLean
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Buyers say they lost life savings to a Saskatchewan company selling luxury vacation condos
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
Canadian fast food chains create value menus to win back customers
Canada’s restaurant industry is in a slump as money conscious consumers are eating out less and spending less when they do go out.
Forgotten Cheetos snack bag can have 'world-changing' impact, U.S. national park says
A U.S. national park is cautioning tourists about how a small bag of Cheetos could have an enormous impact.
Man accused of setting on fire a Ugandan Olympic athlete dies of burns
A man accused of dousing gasoline on an Ugandan Olympic athlete, causing her death days later, has succumbed to burns sustained in the attack, according to the Kenyan hospital where he was treated.
'Blown away by your kindness': Meredith Gaudreau thanks Calgary in heartfelt eulogy
Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, gave a sincere thank you to Calgary for the outpouring of support for her and the Gaudreau family.
Frenchman on trial for rape of drugged wife is hospitalized, lawyer says
A 71-year-old man on trial in France accused of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her in their home was hospitalized on Tuesday for medical checks and treatment, his lawyer told journalists.
Apple's new AirPods are also hearing aids. Can they really save you thousands of dollars?
During its glossy product announcement event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled a new role for its latest AirPods Pro model: medical device.
PwC tells employees it will use location data to police 'back-to-office' rule
PricewaterhouseCoopers will start tracking where its employees in the United Kingdom work, in a bid to dial back its current work-from-home culture.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh convenes caucus in Montreal to plot post-deal path forward
Just days after demolishing his deal with Justin Trudeau's Liberals, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is holding a three-day strategy session with his MPs in Montreal.