On Monday, Target announced that the Justice Department is investigating the security breach, which resulted in upwards of 40 million people having their debit and credit card information stolen. The store is also heading its own investigation with the U.S. Secret Service. “Target remains committed to sharing information about the recent data breach with all who are impacted,” said Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman.
Target is facing more than a little negative attention, and 12 class action lawsuits have been filed in federal courts. Many unhappy customers feel that Target was negligent in detecting security threats. Other customers who are not suing may just be avoiding the store for a while. “The possible savings of a few dollars [by shopping at Target]are nothing compared to the money that has been stolen from us,” said Scotty Haywood, a victim of the security breach.
“Before this incident, Target had a chance of at least a decent Christmas. Now, it will be mediocre at best,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners.
