Toronto Crime Stoppers pauses program after hacker leaks tips

Crime Stoppers is based on the promise that tips are always anonymous. Keeping the tipsters anonymous. Anonymous. Anonymous. Well, not anymore. A hacker leaked over 8 million tips in March. The RCMP said it's concerned this breach could jeopardize public safety. Crime Stoppers outsources its tip database to an Ohio-based company called Navigate 360. Neither would do an interview, but CBC News did get a statement. It said, if there is information within the leaked records that could identify people who submitted tips, it is an extremely serious issue. But it didn't confirm or deny whether any personal information was in the leak. The data told a different story. CBC News found one and a half million tips sent to Canadian CrimeStoppers. They were loaded with personal details. Names, phone numbers, emails, home addresses, info on the tipster or people they're reporting. We talked to a few tipsters to see how they felt knowing a hacker got their tip. We actually have your tip right here. Andrew Rivard reported a convenience store that was selling illegal cigarettes to minors. It's very worrisome. I don't have another word for it. It's just making me kind of scared. He says he's even more concerned for tipsters who've reported serious violent crimes. It's been very scary. I've had anxiety. This woman gave a tip after someone close to her was killed. Police have now laid murder charges. CBC is concealing her voice by having someone else read her statements. She's afraid that if the person charged with murder finds out she gave a tip, she or her family could be in danger. They were capable of hurting my loved one. They could come back and hurt one of us. This cybersecurity expert says CrimeStoppers should have had more security. The system seems to be failed in the promise of anonymity. In the U.S., the FBI is investigating the leak. And there's a class action lawsuit against Navigate 360.