Business & Tech

Target: 40 Million Accounts Possibly Affected in Data Breach

Store confirms massive data breach Thursday.

Target confirmed Thursday that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that started a couple days before Black Friday.

The accounts of customers who used credit or debit cards at Target stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 may have been exposed, the company said. 

The Associated Press reported that data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the three-digit security codes located on the backs of cards. 

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“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,” Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Target said in a statement. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”

Target said it is alerted law enforcement once it became aware of the breach and the retailer is now partnering with a third-party forensics firm to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.

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The data breach did not affect online purchases. Target customers who see unauthorized activity on their card accounts should contact their credit card companies and alert Target by calling 866-852-8680.


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