Update: Target has set up a hotline for customer who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on their cards: 866-852-8680.
Target announced on December 18th that it is investigating a data breach involving, potentially, millions of customer credit and debit cards. Target released a statement December 19th stating that the breach took place between November 27th and December 15th.
Full details of the breach have still not been released, however, sources have said that only cards used at Target brick-and-mortar stores during the window above are at risk. Transactions made using Target’s online store have not been breached.
If you have shopped at a Target store between November 27th and December 15th, here are four things you can do to protect yourself:
- Check your credit card or bank statement for fraudulent activity.
- Call you financial institution to immediately report any fraud or suspicious activity.
- Report any detected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can do so here or by calling 877-438-4338.
- If your account has been compromised, place a fraud alert on your credit report. Doing so is free and the alert is active for 90 days and can be renewed. This makes it harder for thieves to open more accounts in your name.