If you have shopping in-stores at Target between Black Friday and December 15, your credit and/or debit card information may have been breached. It is reported that over 40 million cards maybe affected.
The chain said that accounts of customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 may have been exposed. The stolen data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the three-digit security codes located on the backs of cards. The data breach did not affect online purchases.
What can you do?
Personally, I am cancelling the debit card I used to make purchases at Target on December 1st and will be getting a new number. I haven’t had any security breach as far as I can tell but you can never be too careful when it comes to this stuff.Often times, these low life criminals will wait to try the information. It will be an inconvenience to not have a debit card for a few days while my bank sends me a new card but it is worth not having to deal with reporting unauthorized transactions.
Target has advised:
Target Corp. advised customers to check their statements carefully. Those who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on their cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680. Cases of identity theft can also be reported to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.
Remember, when you are out and about shopping, you do not have to use your PIN number on your debit card. I would recommend only using your debit card as a credit card so that your PIN number will always be safe.
Any other tips? Have you been affected by this breach?
Want to save loads of money this holiday season? Find the latest holiday deals I’ve posted about. You can also check out the Hot Holiday deals, Giveaways, Online Coupon Code Database, and my Holiday Gift Guide. These pages are being updated often.
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