Fraser Valley university investigating possible breach of student info

Email sender demands ransom of $30,000; Abbotsford police, privacy office on case

ABBOTSFORD — The personal information of more than two dozen students attending the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia has potentially been breached online, authorities said Wednesday

Spokesman Dave Pinton said the Abbotsford-based university and police are investigating suspicious email related to the disclosure of “limited personal information” of 29 students.

The information involves names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, grade point averages and in one case, limited financial information about a student at the university.

Pinton said whoever sent an email to students on Monday alerting them to the possible breach demanded a ransom of $30,000.

The university temporarily suspended access to some student and staff web systems and is working with the students and investigators, he said.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. has also been notified, Pinton said.

“[The University of the Fraser Valley] takes the security of our email and information systems very seriously,” Pinton said, adding that the university is keeping students and staff updated on the availability of its online systems.

Abbotsford police said they were contacted by the university on Monday about demands for money involving the students’ information.

Const. Ian MacDonald said the incident has been deemed an extortion attempt.

Computer forensic experts within the police department’s major crime unit are now working on the case.

The modus operandi appears similar to phone or email scams in which fraudsters pretend to be police or government officials and demand that the victim pay a fine or face detention, MacDonald said.

Investigating scams can be a challenge for police detectives, particularly online, where perpetrators typically try to cover up their digital fingerprints by having victims pay ransoms with Bitcoins or gift cards, he said.

“From a policing standpoint, we try to do as much as we can by way of prevention before people get separated from their money,” he said.