The economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led the federal government to create a Social Benefit called Auxílio Brasil in 2021.This program aimed to provide financial assistance to poor families, later this program became known as Bolsa Oila, which is today administered by the Federal Executive Branch.
Currently, an alarming situation puts almost 4 million Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries at risk: the leak of personal data.
According to estimates, thousands of beneficiaries may have had their personal information exposed in a situation that jeopardized the security of their identity. Find out now what really happened and how you can get compensation.
What is the impact of this data breach on Auxílio Brasil? In September, the Court determined that Caixa Econômica Federal, responsible for paying the aid, and the Union must pay US$15,000 in compensation to each person whose data was used inappropriately.
This decision was taken at an early stage, which means that there is still the possibility of appeal by those involved.
What is Caixa Econômica Federal’s responsibility in this scenario? Caixa Econômica Federal spoke out on the matter, highlighting that it has already appealed the court decision and, furthermore, reaffirms that it has not identified any data leak under its responsibility.
The institution also highlights that it has an infrastructure capable of maintaining the integrity of its database.
Can I receive compensation from Auxílio Brasil? It is important that Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries know that not everyone will be reimbursed. Caixa Econômica will only pay compensation to those directly affected by the leak.
However, there are ways to check if your information has been leaked and therefore you are entitled to compensation.
How do I know if my data has been compromised and can I seek compensation? The president of Instituto Sigilo, Victor Hugo Pereira Gonçalves, explained the step-by-step process for carrying out this test, which is mainly based on: accessing the Instituto Sigilo website, providing the requested information, accepting the terms of use and privacy policy and confirming complete information.
What is the purpose of this Auxílio Brasil data leak? The Instituto Sigilo, in a note, highlighted that the leaked data corresponds to around 20% of the beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil program.
The agency further speculated that the main objective of this leak would be to sell this data to offer financial products, mainly payroll loans.