Ganesh Reddy, Former Employee Of GreenSlate Payroll Company Arrested For Alleged Theft Of Personal Information

David Robb
·3 min read

Ganesh Reddy, a now-former employee of GreenSlate, the entertainment industry payroll company, has been arrested by police in Toronto following an investigation into the alleged theft of personal information of some of its clients’ employees. His first court appearance is set for April 27. A spokesman for the company told Deadline that “The majority of GreenSlate’s clients’ employees were unaffected,” and that all those who were affected have been notified.

“GreenSlate detected that a now-former employee downloaded documents containing certain individuals’ personal information and we immediately contacted the authorities,” the spokesman said. “Law enforcement has been actively pursuing an investigation, and on March 1, 2022, arrested the suspected criminal. Importantly, the GreenSlate application was not hacked, and our ability to serve our clients has not been impacted by this isolated event. Out of an abundance of caution, GreenSlate is providing those affected with identity protection services at no cost.”

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A letter that the company sent to affected individuals explained what happened, and what steps they should take to protect their personal information.

It read as follows:

We are writing to share with you some important information regarding a recent incident involving your personal information.

What Happened?
On December 22, 2021, GreenSlate’s security team detected that between December 10 and December 15, 2021, a now-former employee in Canada downloaded scanned paperwork and certain electronic documents containing some of our clients’ employees’ personal information. On December 23, 2021, we retained leading firms to investigate in coordination with the authorities. On that same date we contacted the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Toronto Police Service.

The individual stole the scanned paperwork and electronic documents while they were an employee. GreenSlate’s background check on the employee did not indicate any criminal background. Importantly, the GreenSlate application was not hacked or otherwise compromised. GreenSlate systems undergo external audits and penetration testing for independent assurance of its control environment.

The Toronto Police Service has been actively pursuing an investigation and executing search warrants. On March 1, 2022, TPS arrested the suspected criminal, and GreenSlate is now able to provide notice of this incident without interfering with the law enforcement investigation.

What Information Was Involved?
The affected individuals’ personal information varied by document but may have included your name, date of birth, Social Security Number, Social Insurance Number, work authorization papers, and direct deposit bank account information.

What We Are Doing
To help protect your information, GreenSlate has arranged to provide you with identity monitoring services for 24 months provided by Kroll at no cost to you. We are making this free identity monitoring available to you out of an abundance of caution in case you find it useful, but we do not intend this provision of identity monitoring services to suggest that you face any substantial risk of harm.

What You Can Do
It is always advisable that individuals regularly review their financial accounts and report any suspicious or unrecognized activity immediately. The enclosed “Identity Theft Information” provides further information about steps that individuals can take. Federal consumer protection agencies recommend that you remain vigilant for the next 12 to 24 months and that you report any suspected incidents of fraud to the relevant financial institution.

We encourage you to take advantage of the complimentary identity monitoring services we are offering. You should in particular consider whether you wish to request a credit freeze. We regret this incident and any inconvenience to you.

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