Submitting a claim in the bread price-fixing settlement? Here’s what to know about data safety

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There are only a few days left for Canadians to get their slice of a $500-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit related to the industry-wide price fixing of bread.

Any eligible Canadian resident who purchased packaged bread for their personal use — including bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortillas — between 2001 and 2021 can claim compensation from the national settlement reached with Loblaw Companies Limited, and parent company George Weston Ltd. 

Claimants have until Dec. 12 to apply, and each could get a minimum of $50, according to Verita, an independent administrator for the settlement.

Still, some Canadians have expressed concern about sharing their personal information online.

CBC News has heard from several readers questioning if the claims form is safe and legitimate, and in online forums like Reddit, many people say they’re wary. Other readers have noted that the entire process could be a barrier for people like seniors or those with limited internet access.

“Maybe $50 isn’t worth it for some to risk [having] their ID stolen and having to deal with the headache afterwards,” someone commented in the Canada subreddit.

“Huge barrier to entry that you need to fill in an unclear form through a hidden website to submit a claim. So many Canadians that were impacted will be excluded because they never find this or are technologically illiterate,” read another comment on the Personal Finance subreddit.

There are two different online claims submissions forms: one for residents of Quebec and another for those in the rest of Canada. They both ask for the claimant’s full name, date of birth, full address, phone number and email address.

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Want a piece of the $500-million bread price-fixing settlement? The claims process is now open for Canadians seeking their share in the class-action lawsuit related to the alleged industry-wide price fixing of bread. Here’s how you can get some of that bread money.

Preventing fraud

Collecting personal data is a fairly standard process in class-action lawsuits, as is the use of an online form, explained Suzanne Chiodo, an assistant professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School who specializes in class actions and access to justice.

Collecting that data helps prevent fraudulent claims and bots, Chiodo said, adding that both problems have “besieged” the class-actions claim process in recent years.

The easier and broader the claims process, the more likely it will be targeted, she said.

“The thing is, when there’s fraud, that takes away money from legitimate class members and ruins the settlement,” Chiodo said.

A 2025 report from Western Alliance Bank said there was a 19,000 per cent increase in fraudulent class action and mass tort claims between 2021 and 2023.

As just one example, another recent U.S. report points to a 2019 class-action settlement against Godiva Chocolates where it says 47 per cent of the claims were eventually found to be fraudulent.

Claims websites like the bread settlement ones generally have processes and protections to keep data safe, Chiodo explained.

“You really have to provide that information if you want to make a claim,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s any more hazardous than going on Facebook, to be honest.”

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As for whether the online form is a barrier, Chiodo notes that’s true for any website, and the usual way to collect data in a class-action website. But the administrators should always offer an alternative process, she added.

The two websites do offer phone numbers for people who require assistance: 1-833-419-4821 for those living anywhere in Canada outside Quebec, and 1-888-677-5770 for those living in Quebec.

What to know

You don’t need receipts to prove your purchase, but you will be asked for your most recent packaged bread purchase and where you bought it. There’s also no limit on how many people in a single household can apply. But you must be 18 years old when you apply and have resided in Canada on Dec. 31, 2021.

The claims process opened Sept. 11. As of mid-November, more than 1.4 million people had applied, Verita said. That number doesn’t include Quebec, which is being handled separately by independent administrator Concilia.

A statement Tuesday from the class counsel at Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, the law firm that filed the class-action suit in Ontario, said they’ve received “millions of claims” but didn’t provide an updated figure.

“We are happy with the results of the claims process thus far,” class counsel said in the statement to CBC News.  

CBC News has reached out to Concilia and counsel for the Quebec claim and not yet heard back.

As for your data, the information you submit will be retained by the administrators, Jay Strosberg of Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP previously told CBC News.

Strosberg says that’s for both auditing and compliance purposes — and the possibility of further settlements. He says any personal information will eventually be destroyed.

Still, in an era marked by data breaches and fraud, some people remain skeptical.

“Is this a scam or legit?” someone asked in the Personal Finance Canada subreddit Tuesday afternoon regarding an email they received about the bread class-action settlement.

“I feel like scammers have been upping their game these last couple years. I’m having a harder time telling what’s legit and what’s not,” they added.

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