Target Shoppers: Security Breach Affecting Millions
Attention Target shoppers! If you made any credit or debit purchases in-store between November 27th and December 15th, you may want to check your bank or credit card statements very closely. It appears that unauthorized access to Target’s payment card data during that time period may have allowed suspicious charges affecting millions of credit and debit cardholders. Keep in mind that this breach only happened in-stores and did not affect any online purchases. Head on over here for more details on how it may have affected you.
Were you affected by this security breach?
So…does anyone know if PINs really were collected? Example: I have Target’s debit card which only works with a PIN. It’s the only way I ever shop there. A) Can we change those PINs? B) Were PINs for Red Cards collected? Slightly freaking out here. Pretty sure I shop at Target about 3 times a week.
We have had our debit card ( not target) stolen in the past. Our bank gave us new cards and pins….money was put back in our account right away.
also…banks/credit card companies are really good at this now, it happens all the time. A few weeks ago we had our Gas Card number stolen and someone made a purchase at a hotel for almost $4000. It went thru but the company sent me an email questioning it(as we only purchase gas for under $100 each time)….they removed it from our statement and issued new cards.
I understand that but people need to remember that if you have a debit card that is going to come directly out of your account (unlike a credit card) so that is money coming from your checking account…. you may get it back eventually but in the meantime it is GONE.
I’m so glad I have a RedCard credit card for this reason. No suspicious activity on my credit card.
That is what has happened to us. Even though the bank is investigating it and said they will try to recover the funds for us, the money that was taken is still missing in the meantime and we have no card until the new one is sent. The whole thing is just so upsetting.
Depends on your bank, I suppose. It happened to me before. I had Wachovia and they put the money back as soon as I filed the claim.
This is only temporary. If the bank investigates and cannot prove fraud those funds will be removed from your account. I used to work at Wells Fargo.
Well, it was obviously proven to be fraud because I never heard another thing. This was about 2 yrs go.
I wasn’t saying yours wasn’t fraud. I’m just saying this is wachovia and wells fargo’s policy. You are not guaranteed your funds back.
Sadie- Doesen’t actually happen all the time to millions of customers at a trusted store. This is unique and VERY alarming.
It happened to most of us in the state of south carolina. Our social security numbers were breached. It is happening on a more frequent basis.
Jessica- according to CNN this morning- PINS were also collected
omg…..
This is why I NEVER use my debit card.
that’s why I don’t have a debit card
Ditto!!!
This is what Target said on their wedsite-
“We have determined that the information involved in this incident included customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card’s expiration date and CVV (the three-digit security code)”
From what they’ve stated it doesn’t say pin #’s just CVV. Hopefully that’s true!!
Yes pins were also stolen, so were the 3 digit code on the back of the cards.
Whew, shopped in store on the 17th.
Good luck everyone an thanks dr the heads up
I read about this in the news yesterday and I’m very concerend about this since I practically live at Target. I have used both my debit and credit card during that time period. 🙁
Cancel them both immediately and request new ones! Also go over your charges very closely to make sure they were your purchases! Anything that wasn’t yours, you need to contest to the company that owns your accounts right away!
I just got off the phone with my bank. She assured me we are not liable for fraudulent purchases as long as we monitor our account and let them know in a timely manner.
We got a call from our bank last week saying our cards had been compromised, but wouldn’t disclose the company name. Wonder if this was it? Can’t remember when I shopped there last.
Sounds like a scam if they would not disclose the most basic info you would need to address the problem yourself (instead of giving them your info to act as your intermediary).
No, the same thing happend to us. When it’s fraud prevention many times they are unauthorized to disclose the company information. I work for the bank so I know 100% the phone conversation I had with my bank was legit – dont worry Mo it’s not a scam and I was wondering if this why also!
It may not be a scam. I was sent a letter from Bank of America informing me that my security has been compromised. Unfortunately they do not disclose the merchant. I informed them that since they are protecting the merchant I am not liable. There are various ways people can take valuable information from you…the doctor’s office, work (human resources), tax preparation centers, etc. I would suggest to monitor everything. Monitor your credit report, insurance billing statement, credit cards, and your driving record. Also, my phone was stolen from Victoria’s secret last week. I had a pass code on there. Luckily, I don’t store personal information on my phone. I’m just mentioning this to let you know that thieves watch our every move and wait until we let our guards down.
We had our credit card closed and reissued due to a possible security breech. I wasn’t given the name of where it may have occurred, but my bank is (fortunately) very proactive about this kind of stuff! It’s kind of annoying to have to change our card numbers in everything, but well worth it!
This isn’t good. My husband and I shopped there a lot during those days. Guess I’ll be keep a close eye on everything. UGHHHHH!
oh noooo i don’t wanna look at my credit statement til after Christmas but I guess I ought to now.. booo.
haha, I was thinking the same thing. I’m not worried about the fraudulent charges as banks and credit companies are really good now at fixing it fast. Problem is I don’t want to look at my statement. I keep getting awesome deals thanks to this site but they start to add up to a lot at this time of year.
I am wondering how this affects red card debit cards. They aren’t the same numbers as our bank accounts so it seems like they could only use the card info at target? Any insights on that?
According to the letter on Targets website linked in Hip’s post, RED card holders whi shopped during the time the breach happened should call Target directly, bank debits should call the bank.
This is my situation. I only have the Red debit card. The thieves can only order online with the card since they can not use it in-store (no physical card). I would cancel your card to be safe. This is a lesson to use cash.
Actually Jane, you would be surprised at the type of technology that is out there these days in which you can easily put a persons financial information, such as their credit/debit card data onto a blank card that can easily be used at the store. No one would be the wiser either because cashiers rarely ever ask to see the card when the customer swipes it. So no card whether it be debit or credit is actually safe, they are all vulnerable.
Whoever stole the information did make actual cards– read through some of the latest comments– people have charges on their target cards from target stores all over the US, not online.
It is the same numbers thats why they need your routing # and account # to apply for one
I can’t get access to my account. I think the web is down. I did noticed last night that my account was way too high but didn’t check. I was going to check this morning and now I found out about this on the news. I have to say that I am very concerned now.
Web site is definitely down. 3 of us at work have been trying both Chrome and IE for the last 45 minutes and can’t get in. I’ve tried calling two different numbers for Target and can’t get through. Started out as ringing, then disconnected. Now a fast busy. I think they’re probably overwhelmed with calls.
Jessica I have been calling them too and I am getting the same thing as you. A few rings and then disconnects. How are we supposed to check our accounts now?
I just called the store to see if I could stop by and check my statement there but they can’t do that at the store. I guess we just have to keep trying or just wait. FRUSTRATION…. Is just what I need right now!
Checked my acct this morning, at least 6 charges on there that I did not make! Been on the phone with my bank all morning!
So sorry to hear about that LeLee. I hope you are able to recover all your funds. Happy holidays/
So sorry.
Stupid q but what would a fraudulent purchase look like? Just a high value at a regular store like sears or macys? Or something really weird? I def shopped at target during that time frame and bought a lot of stuff at other stores since but I just want to know what I should really peel my eyes for. Also thank God I don’t use my debit card that much there is be terrified if it affected my money directly.
Anything you yourself did not purchase. If you don’t shop at the Gap and there is a purchase from them on your account, your account may have been hacked. During the holidays, I try to keep copies of all purchase in a safe place and double check them to my account so if something is off, I can call and check. Hope your account is safe 🙂
mines was a bar tab in India so mines was very easy to spot, it can be almost anything low amounts or high so just check to make sure I found out about mines last Friday so charges might just start showing up
The five fraudulent transactions in my bank account were amounts like $17.89, $19.44, etc. and say Chester, inc. or names of places I did not shop at. They were also made within a 5-10 minute time period back to back. There were many high dollar ($150 and up transactions) that were declined as well since I didn’t have the money to cover those amounts.
thank you all for your replies, i thoroughly checked my card and it seemed to be all ok, except a lot to sears, but i think I’m to blame for that, lol. i hope everyone is safe, and that the card companies do a good job protecting our assets!
I found about 10 charges to itunes that i think are fraudulent.
Ugh.. used my Red debit card and my regular debit there at least 5 times during that period. So far my bank account seems okay. Will.keep checking.
Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but are these charges only showing at Target stores on accounts or for other places as well??
The charges will likely not be at a Target store. You might see charges out of state or even country.
Thank you. This whole thing is just sickening 🙁
I’m not sure if this is a related case but my sister got a call from her bank immediately after someone made 3 purchases at a Target store that is only 30 minutes away from where she lives with her credit card info. Glad the bank caught it right away and got everything fixed.
I’m made a purchase on the 27th for a Nerf gun for my son. My account is fine, thank God! I’ve had my account hacked before…about 5 years ago and it was a nightmare getting erything switched over! Ever since then, I have been anal about checking my accounts once a day. To anyone who had their account hacked, I am truly sorry….I know how you feel.
I’m sorry too. Amazingly, I haven’t shopped at Target during this holiday season. I’ve had issues with my cards before where unauthorized charges showed up but fortunately the amounts were small and I was either alerted by the bank or caught the issue myself before things got out of hand. I really hope it all works out for everyone.
I actually had a cashier at a restaurant charge herself a $50 tip to my debit card right around Christmas. It wasn’t on my receipt but showed up on the email statement. The funny part is that the restaurant customer service rep didn’t even sound surprised when I called to report it.
I just checked my account and my card hasn’t been used yet. Can/should we cancel out credit cards before these fraudulent purchases show up? I don’t really want to sit around and wait for my card to be used!!!
Thats what i want to know too. As a previous reader mentioned with the debit card we have, the money will come straight out of our account. That would be really bad. Sorry to anyone who this has happened to.
I am also wondering if I should cancel my card… I shopped there once during the time the stated and so far no charges (thank goodness). Either way it will be a hassle having to wait for a new card from the bank but that would be better than someone successfully using my debit card fraudlently.
As a former victim of identity theft (via a hacked credit card company) I would recommend getting new cards issued immediately. Do not wait for charges to appear. Assume your information has been compromised because charges may not show up for 6 months to a year.
you can always request new cards if they have been compromised. Some banks will automatically send you a new one
I think my card info was stolen. I noticed a frauduelent charge on my Visa last week so I called to dispute the charges and have a new card issued. I shopped at Target on the 3rd and the fraudulent charge was on the 6th.
Unfortunately I was affected 🙁 The thief made 9 transactions online within a 10 minute period of time the day after I shopped at Target last week. Luckily I only had $200 in my checking account because there were 4 transactions declined in large amounts. My bank called me about the 5 transactions they were able to get away with and then I was able to view the transactions. They were from jewelry stores and software companies from New York and various other states. My bank is still investigating but said they would likely reverse the charges that were made. They also canceled my card and said they would mark it a ‘hot card’ so if the thief tried to use it in person, it would be confiscated. This has never happened before and it is so scary.
I’m so sorry this has happened to you that’s why the comments by people on facebook making light of this is upsetting. I pray this gets resolved for you soon.
Thank you for being kind. It is so unfortunate for those affected and I think the worst part is this uneasy feeling of not feeling safe now.
I don’t know why anyone would make light of something like this. This happened to me before and I never found out where the card # was stolen from. I was given all the money back immediately but my husband put us back on mostly cash only transactions. I don’t even know what’s better anymore.
People are making light of this? Wow. So insensitive.
My c/c company contacted me, we had charges that were not ours. We now have a new c/c because of these charges.
I used my Target RED Debit card twice within that period… So far my bank account looks OK, but RED card purchases usually take a couple days to clear, so I’ll be sure to keep an extra close eye on things. So glad for internet banking when things like this happen.
I live very close to target and I shipped there 6 times between those dates. So far no fraudulent charges have shown up.
It’s frustrating because I used my target card and now I can’t get the target card site to work and the phone number on the back of the card is busy. I know they are probably slammed at target, but it’s frustrating for them to put this out and then not be able to tell you if the card was compromised!
I checked my account & saw nothing. But I set up account alerts to alert me of anything over $50 plus international charges, online/phone/catalog purchase. In the meantime, I’m going to try to see if I can get a new card # so I don’t have to log on daily. I usually just check my statement when it comes. Thankfully I don’t have a Target card since it seems people can’t get through on their site & I only use 1 card there.
only thing that stinks is that target red card debit card takes days to hit my checking acct, sometimes almost a week after i made a purchase. i will check now.
I agree… I can’t stand that about the Red Card. :/ I keep daily checks on my account and it frustrates me that I have to wait on the red card card amount clearing for so long. Not worth 5%…
I used my RedCard there on December 5 but no suspicious activity (yet)!
Just went through my receipts and no debit card purchases made during that time frame. But I’ll still monitor my bank acct, since I did use the debit card 11/25.
I can’t access mine either but I am definitely concerned. I was there several times during that time. Ugh!
Reading this, I now believe that this is how our MC information was stolen last month. Fortunately, Citibank alerted us immediately because someone had created a duplicate card and was trying to use it to purchase $200 in gift cards in MD (we live in GA.) We were alerted, the person’s charge was declined, and we had replacement cards within a few hours. I’m amazed how far technology has come.
Now I just have to keep an eye on our Target cc. What a PITA.
I shop there what seems like every other day with my card. I have been trying to call and request a new number as a precaution but can’t get through. I wish they would automatically do this.
me too and trouble is that i sometimes shop there multiple times in a 24 hour period. Im looking through my bank account and cant figure out if the charges are mine or not. Pharmacy is a separate transaction etc so its really difficult for me to know whether the charges are mine. ugh
Things like this make me so thankful we found Dave Ramsey and follow his cash only system. Our account is strictly used to pay bills, everything else is cash ( it also makes it much easier to keep our budget.) *Hugs* to those effected!
Interesting. Love learning new things, thanks for the comment. Any other positives you’ve found by using Cash only?
I shopped there on December 4 & 9. So far, no suspicious activity.
I can not access their website to check my account…. 🙁
My friends say I’m crazy for paying with cash but this is one reason I don’t pay using my debit card. My mom and my brother used there because we are frequent target customers and my mom is keeping a close eye on her account
Nothing for me. I never use my debit card anywhere, and my REDcard account is fine.
Oh man I go to target several times a week with my red card
I used to barely shop at Target and I ran into this problem. I want to say it was around the beginning of last year. I had 2 charges that equaled to about $300 worth made on my debit card before it was cut off. My bank did an investigation and they gave me my money back. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Now I almost never shop there. There was something about it that just did not sit right with me.
I see this is happening to target card holders. I want to clarify that my experience was on my own personal bank card not the target cc or debit card.
Hope everything works out for everyone!
Question…I only have the Target store credit card. So it can only be used at Target. Would these fraud purchases show up from my local store or would it likely be another Target store (or they could use it online at Target I guess)? I’ve shopped so much there lately that I wouldn’t be able to tell what was mine or not. Lesson learned to keep better records!
Wondering the same thing!
I kind of doubt it because even though they have all that info, the only place they could use it at was Target. And I don’t think an employee would allow you to use just the numbers to make a purchase in the store without ID. So I think it would only work online at target.com. But still wondering!
They are taking the card numbers and making fake cards with them, so they aren’t using numbers to make purchases but fake cards. I’m not sure if they are doing that with the Target credit cards but I would assume that its a possibility and check your account.
I have the Target Debit card that you can only use at Target so wondering the same thing.
Me too. I have the Target Debit card and it’s the only card I use there so I can get the 5% off. I’m trying to call and check any online purchases but so far, I can’t get through.
I finally got through on the phone and it seems so far, so good. The RedCard debit is only good at Target, right? I will request a new card but I’m wondering if I need to worry that it can be used anywhere else. I don’t think so…
A Target credit card with the Visa or Master Card logo can be used anywhere. I have a Macy’s American Express card that is good anywhere that AmEx is accepted.
i have a few small charges like 4.32 and .52 and .52!!! all made back to back
Sounds like someone is phishing your card trying to see if it works. You should cancel it immediately!
those look like charges when setting up a paypal account. you might want to check in on that.
Our bank told me that sometimes those little charges are “tests” to see if the card works. If it goes through, they go on a shopping spree. So even little charges are serious.
That’s how they”test” your card. Cancel it ASAP!
Had anyone has had any issues with the Target RED credit card. I read mentions of the the debit card. But I am wondering about the credit card only. Thanks!
The Red credit card is a visa card. Therefore, it can be used outside of Target. Anyone with the Red credit card is at risk.
My Target RedCard/credit card is for Target only. I just checked and all seems ok with mine but we shopped in-store on the 16th.
Same here. My REDcard is not a debit card, it’s a charge card that I pay off every month. But there is no Visa/MC logo on the front, so it’s not a use-anywhere charge card. I have not been able to log into my REDcard acct to check on anything yet, but I will keep checking. However, I don’t believe fraud could occur at any other store with a REDcard charge that’s does not have Visa/MC logo on it. If someone knows differently, please post 🙂
Is target doing anything to those who were affected?
I hope so! I’ve had my card for not even a month yet and something like this happens to me, then on op of that I have to wait 1-2 weeks for a new card, hopefully it comes in time for Christmas. Sorry to everyone that was affected it helps to hear other people’s stories so I know I’m not the only one feeling some way
I also commented above but want to reiterate…
As an ongoing victim of identity theft (via a hacked credit card company) I would recommend getting new cards issued immediately. Do not wait for charges to appear. Assume your information has been compromised because charges may not show up for 6 months to a year. A call to get new/replacement cards is a lot quicker than the hours and possibly days it may take in the future to correct fraudulent charges.
I second that. Also, the local PD in my city does not treat it as a priority when reporting credit card fraud. Unfortunately, because some people over extend themselves and lie about losing their credit crds it adversely affects others. I cannot emphasize enough to obstinately check your account balances. These callous people know the media has the word out about the breach, but will prob till try to access our account even in 2014. This can be a Nightmare if you are impacted, out a 90-day freeze on your account and need a credit check or a new job or new home. Good luck to all!
Yes, I’m wondering about the Target Red Card/credit card. That is what I would have used.
I just went over my bank statement with a fine tooth comb as I shopped at Target several times during those dates; thankful to say they didn’t get my #. Whew! I’m so sorry for those of you that this has affected. What a rotten time of year to have it happen. I had my Walmart.com account hacked at this time last year and that was a nightmarish mess. I will never store my bank account info on a “secure” website ever again. No site is truly secure.
Target corp has told people on their facebook page to close your account even if you do not see a stolen charge. The reason being is that there were million of numbers stolen. The thieves may have not had time to use the information yet.
The last post I see from them was yesterday.
Someone got my debt card a couple of weeks ago and had to cancel my card… Never knew how they got my info because I norm use my credit card online… Well this answers my ?… I have usaa and they were amazing and out all the money back into my account that was taken…
Just talked to my bank. My card has been used. I can’t believe this. Right at Christmas.
Does anyone know how Target does returns if you no longer have the card? If I cancel my cards and get new ones, will I still be able to return an item after Christmas and have it go back to my account? Or will they only give me store credit now?
I had to do this at Michaels b/c my credit card had been stolen (not related to Target) and I had new numbers but had to do a return. They were able to process it but it took longer and the manager had to help. It works, but you have to tell them that your numbers were stolen so you have a new card.
STRESS!!!!
I have received my current statement and will go over that carefully if I still have receipts (I would have only used the Red credit card). I’m wondering if my card is safe if I don’t see any fraudulent charges in the specified time period. What changed on December 15th to stop the charges?
That time period is just when the breach happened. Your information is out there & fraudulent charges could occur days, weeks or even months after the breach.
Target’s website for managing the Redcard must be overloaded–can’t even log on to see if any suspicious charges…what a pain!!! Thankful I don’t have the debit card, but I don’t really want to deal with a problem with the credit card either…ugh!!
On the phone with my bank now. So horrible that we have to deal with this.
I agree. 🙁
I just talked to my credit card company (USAA) and they said they are already planning to issue new cards to anyone that used their card at Target during those dates. Since I called, they are going ahead and issuing me a new number now, otherwise, a new number would have been issued for me within 30 days.