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| Targeted! Account breach could affect 40 million cards - Boston.com Posted: 19 Dec 2013 08:45 AM PST Target says that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear. 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. The breach affected all cards, including Target store brand cards and major card brands such as Visa and MasterCard. The Minneapolis company said it immediately told authorities and financial institutions once it became aware of the breach and that it is teaming with a third-party forensics firm to investigate and prevent future breaches. It said it is putting all ''appropriate resources'' toward the issue. Target Corp. advised customers to check their statements carefully. Those who see suspicious charges on the 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. Target didn't say exactly how the data breach occurred, but said it had since fixed the problem and that credit card holders can continue shopping at its stores. When asked whether there's a certain time when shoppers know their accounts will no longer be vulnerable, a Target spokeswoman said, ''We encourage everyone to be vigilant.'' But news of the breach comes at the height of the critical holiday shopping season and threatens to scare away shoppers worried about the safety of their personal data. The November and December period accounts for 20 percent, on average, of total retail industry sales. The issue is particularly troublesome for Target because it has has used its red branded credit and debit cards as a marketing tool to lure shoppers with a 5 percent discount. The company said during its earnings call in November that as of October the percentage of customers who have the Target branded cards topped 20 percent. This holiday season, Target added other incentives to use its cards. Two days before Thanksgiving, Target.com ran a special review sale with 25 exclusive offers, from electronics to housewares for those who used the branded card. As a result of these incentives, Target says its continues to see that households who activate a Target-branded card have increased their spending at the store by about 50 percent on average. ''This is how Target is getting more customers in the stores,'' said Brian Sozzi, CEO and Chief Equities Strategist. ''It's telling people to use the card. It's been a big win. If they lose that trust, that person goes to Wal-Mart.'' Target is just the latest retailer to be hit with a data breach. TJX Cos., which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, had a breach that began in July 2005 that exposed at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud. The breach wasn't detected until December 2006. In June 2009 TJX agreed to pay $9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to the massive data theft but stressed at the time that it firmly believed it did not violate any consumer protection or data security laws. An even larger hack hit Sony in 2011. It had to rebuild trust among PlayStation Network gamers after hackers compromised personal information including credit card data on more than 100 million user accounts. Sony was criticized for slowness in alerting users to the breach. ''Target's first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,'' Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement Thursday. Target has 1,797 U.S. stores and 124 in Canada. © Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company. |
| Mega Millions: One winner collects prize, the other remains unknown - NBCNews.com Posted: 19 Dec 2013 08:53 AM PST  Dusk falls on the home listed for Ira Curry, one of two Mega Millions lottery ticket winners that were identified by lottery officials in the $636 million drawing on Wednesday, in Stone Mountain, Ga. By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News One mega-millionaire down, one to go. While a 56-year-old Georgia woman celebrates her sudden fortune, the person with whom she will share a $648 million Mega Millions jackpot remains a mystery. That person bought a ticket bearing the numbers 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and Mega Ball 7 at Jenny's Gift and Kids Wear in San Jose. Thuy Nguyen, the store owner, said he will probably know the person when they come forward. "Mostly my customer here is my friend," said Nguyen, who won a bonus of $1 million himself. Wednesday, lottery officials identified the Georgia winner as Ira Curry, of Stone Mountain, an Atlanta suburb. According to a statement released by lottery officials, Curry said of winning: "It's unreal. It's like I'm still dreaming." Curry bought a single ticket, playing a combinations of family birthdays and her lucky number 7. She chose a single-payment option, rather than an annuity, and will take home about $120 million after federal and state taxes, officials said. The jackpot soared to $648 million on Tuesday night, after 22 drawings passed without a winner, sending dreamers out in droves to try their luck. At one point, 31,000 tickets were sold each minute in California, said Russ Lopez, the California lottery deputy director of corporate communications.  NBC News Thuy Nguyen gets roughly $1 million for selling a winning ticket. Regardless of the odds of about 259 million to 1, Mega Millions sold more than double the amount of tickets on Tuesday compared with the week before when the jackpot was a relatively skimpy $344 million, Paula Otto, the Mega Millions' lead director told NBC News. Curry chose not to appear at Wednesday's lottery news conference in order to "take some time to think about it with her husband," lottery officials said. A person who answered the phone at her home told NBC News: "We're not interested in any publicity at all." The California winner might also be taking some time to think about how extremely his or her life has changed. Al and Carmen Castellano, a San Jose couple who hit a $141 million jackpot in 2001, told NBC Bay Area that they decided to wait four days before coming forward in order to seek financial advice, and their decision literally paid off. The couple is still rich 12 years later, and they credit part of that to their choice of going into hiding for a few days after their big win. Whether or not the winner stays secluded for a bit of time, Lopez urged the lucky lotto player to sign the back of the winning ticket immediately and keep it in a safe place. On Wednesday, Lopez said officials had received many tips about who may have won the jackpot. "We actually try to find our winners," Lopez said. In addition to the two jackpot-winning tickets, there were 20 $1 million winners who matched five numbers. NBC News' Becky Bratu contributed to this report. Related: Georgia winner comes forward for share of $648 million jackpot |
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