Up to 40 Million Consumers who Shopped at Target from November 27th to December 15th Impacted
With the news that up to 40 million consumers nationwide may have had their debit and credit card information compromised due to a security breach at Target in their U.S. stores from November 27 to December 15, 2013, Attorney General Kilmartin is providing Rhode Islanders information on how to stop unauthorized purchases and how to protect themselves from being a victim of credit card and identity theft this holiday season.
Target has confirmed that information involved with the breach include customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card's expiration date and CVV (the three-digit security code).
"This data breach could not have come at a worse time for consumers," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "With Christmas right around the corner, consumers have enough to worry about without the concern their bank accounts are being drained or criminals are using their credit cards."
Attorney General Kilmartin offered the following helpful information to consumers who may have shopped at Target during the timeframe of the breach:
o Check your debit and credit card accounts daily online. If you discover any suspicious or unusual activity on your accounts or suspect fraud, report it immediately to your financial institutions.
o If you shopped at Target during the breach, consider adding a fraud alert to your credit report file to help protect your credit information. A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, but it also may delay your ability to obtain credit. You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies listed below.
o Under federal law, you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228.
You may contact the nationwide credit reporting agencies at:
Equifax 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com
Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com
TransUnion 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com
If you have questions or concerns, you should contact Target directly at 866-852-8680 or visit the company's corporate website at https://corporate.target.com. Or, you may contact the Consumer Protection Unit at the Office of Attorney General at 401-274-4400 or by email at contactus@riag.ri.gov.