Patricia Gabrielli was among several people to be asked for her utility bill and driver's license information when she applied for a $25 Loblaw gift card online.
The company had offered $25 gift cards as part of its attempt to make amends to its customers for the bread price-fixing scandal.
What surprised Gabrielli the most was getting an email back from the company addressed to her middle name, which she says appears nowhere besides her birth certificate.
"If my middle name may not have appeared, it may not have raised a red flag, " says Gabrielli.
In a statement, Loblaw says the program is designed to get money out to customers quickly and directly, without requiring proof of purchase, or forcing customers to wait for a class action lawsuit.
"Millions of dollars of Loblaw Cards have already been received and spent by customers. For a small percentage, we've asked for proof of name and address. A utility bill — which simply confirms name and address — will do. ID will be collected through a secure channel, verified, then destroyed. Our plan to distribute tens of millions of dollars is a natural target for fraudsters, and we want to make sure this money is actually landing in our customers' hands."
Canada's Privacy commissioner is investigating.
-Diana Skaya