In the wake of the massive privacy breach impacting 2.9 million members, Desjardins has announced that all of its caisse members are now automatically protected against identity theft.

This coverage will be available to both personal and business members free of charge.

"Today, we're sending a message to all of our members. Don't worry – we've got you covered. If your identity has been stolen, give us a call. Desjardins is here for you. And we're going to continue to support you, like we always have. That's what we're here to tell you," said Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group in a statement issued July 15. "Our teams have been working non-stop to put this coverage together for you. All caisse members are automatically covered as of this morning. You don't need to sign up, and you'll only ever have to deal with Desjardins."

Desjardins says that “as always, members' assets and transactions at Desjardins are protected. If unauthorized transactions are made in Desjardins accounts, members will be reimbursed.”

Members who have had their identity stolen will also have access to a service to help them restore their identity. This includes personalized support from lawyers working in this area of the law, says Desjardins.

Also, caisse members will now have a new type of coverage that will reimburse them up to $50,000 for expenses related to identity theft. “This could cover salary loss, document notarization, legal or accounting fees, and other types of related expenses,” says the statement.