Earlier today, it was learned the credit/debit cards of around 40 million Target shoppers are at risk of being compromised. Basically, anyone who shopped at any Target in the US between Thanksgiving weekend and December 15 is at risk.
The risk isn’t for online Target shoppers, just for those who used their cards in the store. Stolen info includes customer’s names, card numbers, card expiration date, and even that 3 digit security code. It’s believed this breach was an inside job. It’s believed the machines were broken into to get the information. This isn’t the first time this happened to a major store chain. Back in 2007, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s had over 45 million cards compromised.
There are things you can do. First off, call your credit card company and make sure every purchase is on the up and up. If anything sounds or looks fraudulent, cancel the card immediately and get a replacement card. I know getting a new card can take a couple of weeks and can be an inconvenience, especially this time of year. But it’s better to be inconvenienced than to be wiped out. Use cash whenever you can. There’s no way cash can be hacked into. What are some other ways these crimes can be prevented?