Target Breach.

[MMCD]

I changed my pin of my debit redcard. Hopefully no one was hacking on to my computer while I was changing my code!

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Ironically, I lost the red card I used over BF and the following week and just had it replaced. So now I just need to see if anything has been going on with my Disney Visa and Starwood Amex. I am traveling this week, including to Canada. I bet I will get declined everywhere.

 

[clh2]

Oh crud. DD used her debit card there on Black Friday. We are joint on the account.

DD is leaving on jan 2 to go to Paris and London for a j-term. Her debit card was going to be how she was going to get cash. I wonder if our bank can get it replaced before the end of the year? I wonder what other options there will be.

Luckily-dd will also have a credit card, that was not used at target since Black Friday that she will be taking with too. Just thinking to myself, I wonder if my debit card has a different number, and have DD take my card. I HATE target, so I rarely shop there, so I know I haven't been to target since before thanksgiving.

 

[jenrose66]

My Disney visa was compromised in early December a few days after I used it at target. It was swiped at a pop machine in California and declined. I do not live in California so my card had been cloned. Chase is good with denying specific transactions that are suspicious and informing their customers.

 

[KayW]

My Disney visa was compromised in early December a few days after I used it at target. It was swiped at a pop machine in California and declined. I do not live in California so my card had been cloned. Chase is good with denying specific transactions that are suspicious and informing their customers.

Sorry to hear about your card. It is good to know that CHase is good at denying transactions. I have to recheck my statement that came last week. There was one charge I didn't remember, but it was a local store so I could have stopped in and purchased a gift and not realized the name of the store.

 

[wekhogan]

Ok so this may be a dumb question but how do they use your card info at a store? I just assumed when they stole your info they did online purchases. I have tried to log in all day to view my redcard cc but cannot get thru.

I think they hack Target's network and grab credit card info when the card is swiped. That info is captured, then used in another program tied to a machine that prints credit cards. I

 

[lucyem]

On Target's FB page, NBC news is recommending that you cancel any card that was used during the three week period. I can't say that I'm happy with the way this all played out. I would expect to be informed by the store in question, Target, which was not done. I found out via the news. I would expect Target to offer some recommendations/solutions to allay concerns that I have. Aside from a PR put out today, they haven't offered anything concrete. Their corporate phone numbers and call centers in India are all constantly busy, the website has been having problems all day and any questions posted on FB are answered with "canned responses". So I'm not feeling sure that Target is on top of this.

My guess is that are still reeling from this and trying to deal with customers and figure it all out. I figured once things settle down I will call and have my Target card number changed.

I see posts in other places of people freaking out and saying they will never shop there again etc etc. It kind of surprises me. This stuff happens all the time, usually not this much at once, but still. I cannot tell you how many times my DH or I have had our credit card numbers stolen. Three times I can trace directly back to Amazon. Then there was the waiter who swiped my DH's card. Or the day LLBean called me because "I" used my non LLBean visa to make some large purchases to be sent to the Ukraine. About 5 years ago Citibank fraud told me that they have computers just generating numbers until the numbers work. So someone does not even need to steal your number. This is one of the reasons we do not have debit cards. I like the extra layer between my bank account and the credit card company.

 

[elgerber]

I see posts in other places of people freaking out and saying they will never shop there again etc etc. It kind of surprises me. This stuff happens all the time, usually not this much at once, but still. I cannot tell you how many times my DH or I have had our credit card numbers stolen. Three times I can trace directly back to Amazon. Then there was the waiter who swiped my DH's card. Or the day LLBean called me because "I" used my non LLBean visa to make some large purchases to be sent to the Ukraine. About 5 years ago Citibank fraud told me that they have computers just generating numbers until the numbers work. So someone does not even need to steal your number. This is one of the reasons we do not have debit cards. I like the extra layer between my bank account and the credit card company.

Totally agree, this happens all the time, just not on this scale. My Disney Visa number has been stolen 3 times so far, and Chase has been awesome about catching it. I get a new account, and we move on. I will never use debit cards either.
It's also the bank for whichever card that is going to be able to help people, unless it's a Target card, there really isn't anything Target can do to help. And I wish they would stop calling it identity theft, since it is not the same thing at all.

 

[dawnhaze]

I got an email from Target this morning with info about the whole thing, but it's nothing that isn't already available elsewhere. I used my RedCard (not debit) four times during the time period they've stated was compromised.

I tried to call and have my card reissued but I'm having trouble getting through on the phone. It'll die down sometime, I guess. In the meantime, I'll check the statements thoroughly.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

As of this morning, I have not heard from Target about the breach. I have their debit card and changed the PIN yesterday. If it was not for the Dis, I would have not known about it. I did see it on the news all day yesterday, but nothing from Target.

 

[Nana2Callie]

I can't get through to Target - everything is busy.

 

[PlutoPony]

Hope this pushes US banks to improve the security of their credit cards by adding chips to them. If enough of us ask for new cards and accounts be closed when our CC data is potentially compromised, at some point the CC companies/banks will find it makes $ sense to spend the money and take that step.....

 

[sweetdana]

I see posts in other places of people freaking out and saying they will never shop there again etc etc. It kind of surprises me. .

so 1) I don't think people are giving up and never shopping again, but for a short time.. WHY NOT???????? seriously? ... being surprised this upsets people, and scares people doesn't make any sense.

THEFT is scary, overwhelming and brings out the dishonestly in the world. At a time of yr when people are noticed for being extra giving, and instead hear.. they might be the victom of theft, and possibly identity theft, and possibly have an ATM made in there names and $$ drawn... this is not surprising at all.. Theft breaks my heart, as is provide evidence 1 more person is dishonest.

It is surprising to me you think this is no big deal cause it has happened before.
The fact that the company let a heist of this magnitude happen without blockers is a big deal... and to be frank is likely to have had internal support. It is highly unlikely they completely hacked the system without someone at target getting them the in and outs of the system. All reports are the same.. This big had help inside.. so YUP.. YOU'DE better blame target they hired someone with this ability and skipped a background ck.

Sorry.. you are surprised.. I am upset as well, and will certainly not shop there until this is resolved.. and I feel I am safe. It is too easy to go to Meijers across the street or Wal-Mart a mile the other way. .. who at this point I don't know they have a breach..
..never shop there.. nah I will..but not this yr.. and into next yr for sure.

 

[JB2K]

Then there was the waiter who swiped my DH's card.

Two places you should NEVER, EVER use your credit/debit card (especially during the holidays):

• Restaurants with wait staff - due to the high seasonal turnover, it's not uncommon for a dishonest waiter/waitress to pad that tip an extra 10-20 bucks. Worst case scenario...the waiter could be from outside the U.S., and carrying a pocket "skimmer" to capture your credit/debit card info and sell it on the open market in Eastern Europe/Russia.
  
• Certain "Pay at the Pump" Gas Stations - regardless of the name brand of fuel they are selling, those independently-owned "mom and pop" stations' pumps can be easily broken-into (and a skimmer being attached). Generally, large regional convenience stores such as QuikTrip, WaWa, as well as major retail/grocery chains/warehouse clubs all periodically check their pumps and attach a security seal on it (if the seal is ever broken, don't purchase fuel from that pump). There's also the matter of large pre-authorizations putting a "hold" of at least $75 on your bank account. If you're running dangerously low on fuel and must buy the gas, now, walk an extra 20-30 feet, and pay inside, or at the hut before you pump.

Use your cards (because carrying large wads of cash, in itself, can present dangerous personal risks), but be smart on how/where you use them...

 

[clh2]

We went to the bank this morning to request a new debit card for DD. Needed to expedite it - cost of $35. DD is leaving for Europe on Jan 2nd, and we did not want to risk her not getting the replacement card in time.

I am not happy about the $35, but if anything were to happen on her trip - related to the old card, it would cost us far more than $35 to fix the problem.

 

[PlutoPony]

We went to the bank this morning to request a new debit card for DD. Needed to expedite it - cost of $35.

Called to replace CC today, should have new ones in 10 days or for $15 we could have them Tuesday.
Uh, it's just before Christmas... guess they aren't concerned about us not using their card on last minute gifts? All they have to do is look at our history to see that we use it a lot lol....

 

[JB2K]

All reports are the same.. This big had help inside.. so YUP.. YOU'DE better blame target they hired someone with this ability and skipped a background ck.

Target has been famously cheap with their specialized (non-store worker) labor in recent years.

During the Christmas 2008 season, Target handed pink slips to 600 of their employees working in/around the Minneapolis headquarters. In early 2009, all those jobs disappeared (along with another 400 unfilled jobs), and went to their spanking new campus in...wait for it...India!

I find this peculiar, because to date, Target does not operate any retail stores outside of the 49 States/Canada. I'd be willing to bet most of their staff working in India has never set foot inside a Target store.

And the Bullseye didn't stop, there -- in October of this year, they let another 150 workers loose from their Minneapolis campuses. The official response from Target was "a clear duplication of roles". Wondering if those job duplications happened with the Indian staff?

Though I've been something of a Target "cheerleader" in the past, it is inexcusable for a Fortune 50 company not to have adequate security measures in place during the busiest shopping time of the year. Folks either like or hate Walmart, but it is a known fact their U.S. IT departments (which are based at their Bentonville, Arkansas HQ or in nearby Southwest Missouri) are something of a "gold standard" in big retail, and the liklihood of something of this magnitude ever happening at WM would be a lot smaller.

A possible clearance sale of "Duck Dynasty" merchandise excluded, I see a big 2013 fourth quarter report coming Walmart's way...

 

[JB2K]

I thought Target Red Cards could be used anywhere? That is how they always propose it to me anyway. That it is just like a regular Debit card. I also had a Target Red Card credit card years ago and IIRC it was a regular credit card. (that part I could be fuzzy on) If the Debit Card can only be used at Target I might actually get one. I thought it replaced your current Debit card and I could not use that one anymore.

There are 3 different types of Target cards:

Target Visa - can be used at Target for the 5% discount, and millions of other places worldwide that accept Visa. Target stopped issuing these, a while back, but there are still some in circulation.

Target REDCard - a traditional department store charge card, with traditional department store charge card interest rates. Only accepted at Target.

Target REDCard Debit Card - a PIN-based card with the same benefits as the traditional REDCard. Over a 1 or 2-day period from the time of the initial "swipe", it debits your desginated bank account (that information is not stored on the card, or the register/store computers). All swipe tranasactions are processed through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) to your bank's ABA Routing Number/Bank Account Number, which is on file away from the stores. It, too, is only valid at Target.

I'm thinking, if anything, the only problems users will have with their REDCards (non-Visa) is "if" fake cards are manufactured and swiped at not frequently-shopped Target stores far away from home (think places like Florida and NY/NJ). Otherwise, they're no good in places like Russia and Vietnam.

 

[scard192]

I have the Red Card credit card and am not too happy that you can't get through to request a new card. This is Target's screw up, I am not going to spend hours on the phone requesting a new card. I tried calling at 6AM this morning and could not get through. I only used the Red Card at Target during the dates in question so no reason to call my regular credit card companies; that would likely be less time consuming.

I still need to pick up a few things for the Holidays and will be shopping at Walmart as much as I don't like them because I don't feel confident using any form of payment other than cash at Target right now.

 

[LilyWDW]

Never used my debit card at Target. I only used my Discover card so I am keeping an eye on that account but I am NOT canceling it. I leave tomorrow for a week in another state and my Discover is the only card I use when I travel due to the protections that come with it.

Just keep an eye on your accounts, which should always be done anyway.

I will still shop at Target. In the days we live in this is, sadly, something that happens. Target is not the first and will not be the last.