Toronto Crime Stoppers Suspends Tips After Data Breach

Toronto Crime Stoppers Suspends New Tips Following P3 Software Hack

Toronto Crime Stoppers has temporarily stopped accepting new tips after more than 176,000 tips submitted between 2022 and 2025 were stolen in a data breach earlier this year. The charity announced the pause after learning that hackers stole data from P3, the third-party tip software owned by Navigate360.

Charity chair Sean Sportun released a statement detailing that the stolen records include 176,859 tips and 14,973 names contained within those submissions. While Toronto Crime Stoppers does not ask tipsters for their names, individuals occasionally included identifying details to explain what they witnessed. The organization stated that staff normally redact these details before forwarding tips to investigators, but the breach compromised the original unredacted files.

Timeline of Software Security Warnings and Disclosures

According to Toronto Crime Stoppers, the security incident began in mid-March when the charity notified Toronto police and other Crime Stoppers associations about potential compromises to the P3 platform. Navigate360 maintained at the time that the system was secure and operational. On March 25, Navigate360 confirmed that hackers had accessed P3 using a stolen customer account login.

The charity temporarily stopped using the software between April 7 and April 10 following a login outage before resuming operations after assurances from the vendor. In May, after a U.S.-based Crime Stoppers program experienced a 91-gigabyte data theft, Toronto Crime Stoppers again queried Navigate360 about its exposure. On June 9, Navigate360 notified the charity that Toronto data was included in the leak. Subsequent updates in July, September, and October provided ID numbers and a list of 14,973 names, though the charity noted the data lacked sufficient detail to identify whether the names belonged to tipsters or suspects.

Toronto Police Service Suspends Use of Tip Line

The Toronto Police Service announced it has suspended its use of the Crime Stoppers tip line while conducting an internal review. Police officials stated that the disclosed information raises serious concerns regarding the protection of confidential information and public safety.

Toronto police advised members of the public seeking to report crimes or public safety concerns to contact the service directly through existing reporting channels. While direct reporting lacks the traditional anonymity of the Crime Stoppers program, police noted it ensures information reaches investigators immediately.

Security Breach Leaks 1.5 Million Canadian Crime Stoppers Tips

A separate investigative report by CBC News revealed that the security breach affected more than 1.5 million tips submitted to Canadian Crime Stoppers programs over the past 25 years. The compromised data, leaked by a hacktivist group known as Internet Yiff Machine and distributed via the Distributed Denial of Secrets platform, included personal details such as street addresses, phone numbers, and banking details tied to cash rewards.

Reported that the leaked dataset contained information concerning high-profile investigations, including the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman, the case of Luka Magnotta, and the manhunt for Ryan Wedding. Cybersecurity experts interviewed by CBC expressed surprise at the scale of unredacted personal information left vulnerable in the vendor’s database.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Toronto Crime Stoppers Breach

How can individuals submit tips while the service is paused?

Toronto Crime Stoppers has removed the “Tip Submit” feature from its website and directed the National Anonymous Call Centre to cease accepting new phone calls and online submissions. The organization advises anyone with urgent information to contact Toronto police directly at 911 or through standard non-emergency reporting channels.

What specific data was exposed in the hack?

The breach exposed 176,859 tips submitted to Toronto Crime Stoppers between January 2022 and November 2025, as well as 14,973 names that were in those tips.

When will anonymous tip collection resume?

Toronto Crime Stoppers stated it will not resume accepting tips until it establishes a secure system that protects tipster anonymity. The organization is currently working with law enforcement and technology partners to develop a safer alternative.

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