The popular mega store Target has confirmed that a data security breach was used to access credit and debit card accounts, and upwards of 40 million customers across the country may be victims. The company says that the breach occurred between November 27 and December 15.
Target says it will do everything it can to efficiently investigate the situation, and has already alerted authorities and financial institutions. Target will bring in a third-party forensics team to be a part of the investigation as well.
“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,” said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Target. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the security breach involved the theft of data from credit and debit cards while the customer was swiping the magnetic strip on the card during payment. That data could then be used by the thief to create fraudulent cards.
