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New Target Numbers: 110 Million Customers Affected by Breach

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Jan 10, 2014 at 12:40:40 PM EST
Tags: Target (all tags)
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Target has revised the numbers of customers whose credit card data may have been breached from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15 from 40 million to 70 million and now to 110 million.

Target has said it will provide one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to all customers who shopped at its stores, not just those who have been affected. Customers have three months to enroll in the program by going to Target’s Web site.

Target's q and a page on the breach is here.

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    New Target Numbers: 110 Million Customers Affected by Breach | 46 comments (46 topical)

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    Why should I believe that 110M USians ... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by RonK Seattle on Fri Jan 10, 2014 at 07:43:34 PM EST
    ... executed credit/debit card transactions at Target in one 19-day interval?

    Also, isn't the Target Q&A conspicuously short on believable A's?

    I was half listening to the news, and what I kinda (none / 0) (#2)
    by nycstray on Fri Jan 10, 2014 at 08:48:21 PM EST
    got was that once they accessed the data, they got deeper than the current shoppers (if that makes sense :) ) AKA, once you're in, you're IN!

    Parent
    That was my thought, too - 1/3 the population (none / 0) (#15)
    by BeDazzled on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 02:12:44 PM EST
    did not shop at Target during that time period. Though, there may have been that many transactions by the number of people who actually did shop there.

    Parent
    Or roughly 1 card per U.S. household (none / 0) (#21)
    by RonK Seattle on Mon Jan 13, 2014 at 08:52:22 PM EST
    And on that basis, it doesn't seem to make sense either, even if the hack was open-ended calendar-wise.

    Parent
    Or... (none / 0) (#22)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 09:13:38 AM EST
    ...they have foreign customers in their database.

    Parent
    They said only US accts are affected (none / 0) (#23)
    by RonK Seattle on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 12:34:09 PM EST
    ... but then they said a lot of things ... :)

    Parent
    No Way... (none / 0) (#25)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:20:40 PM EST
    ...1 in three people in the US have a Target account.  Come on, take out kids and old folks and that is approaching every other grown A adult in the US having an target account.

    Parent
    My understanding is that this wasn't just (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Anne on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:47:12 PM EST
    a hack of Target's card, but of the credit and debit card info of anyone who shopped during that period in question - and possibly before the period in question, because the hack was into the entire point-of-sale system.

    From CNNMoney    :

    That's because hackers didn't just break into Target's point-of-sale system and collect data from magnetic stripes on 40 million payment cards. They also wormed their way into Target's massive database of 70 million customers, which included names, emails, phone numbers and addresses.

    You have to remember that everyone coming through a checkout line is swiping his or her card through the same reader - that's the point-of-sale, and that's the trove of information that's gotten hacked.  

    Suddenly, it isn't so far-fetched to imagine that many millions of people could have had their information compromised.

    Parent

    It Is Far Fetched... (none / 0) (#34)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 04:27:40 PM EST
    ...IMO to think Target has personal info on half the adults in this country and that roughly have the people in the US have used a CC at target.

    Not saying it's untrue, but I am having a very hard time wrapping my head around it.  I wonder where Walmart stands with customer info since they are considerably larger and have more sales.

    The only probable way they could have that many customers is if they never purge their database and been collecting info for years with multiple data-sets for the same person.  Even then, still seems extremely high.

    I wonder if they are going to change their information/data collection policies, because right now it would seem they are collecting everyone they can and not locking it down.

    I do find it rather humorous that the only way to get relief and credit monitoring services is to go online and sign up at.... Target.  IOW, update the information that got hacked, possibly with SS numbers for the credit monitoring stuff.

    Parent

    You go to a special Target site and enter your (none / 0) (#37)
    by Angel on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 08:11:17 PM EST
    name and email, you are sent a verification code and a link to protectmyid.com which is part of the Experian credit bureau site.  

    I used both debit and credit card at Target during the affected time period.  My sister did the same, for what it's worth.  

    Parent

    So you would be considered (none / 0) (#40)
    by jbindc on Wed Jan 15, 2014 at 07:18:16 AM EST
    "2 customers".

    So, as mentioned above, if you used multiple cards, you could be counted as multiple people.  It's conceivable to have had say 30 million people use different cards, and be counted as 110 million.

    Parent

    It is not only about (none / 0) (#26)
    by Zorba on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:36:16 PM EST
    People who have a Target account/credit card, Scott.  It's supposedly about anyone who used any credit or debit card whatsoever at Target.
    But still and all, I would find it extremely difficult to believe that one-third of Americans shopped at Target and used their debit/credit cards during that time period.
    I would really, really like to know exactly what went on here.

    Parent
    Remember... (none / 0) (#28)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:47:29 PM EST
    many plastic-aholics have more than one credit card...and considering it happened during the holidays, some people are gonna be using multiple cards as they max one out and move on to the next.

    Parent
    Yes, all too true, Dog (none / 0) (#32)
    by Zorba on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 03:29:14 PM EST
    But still, it leaves a whole heck of a lot of people that apparently shopped at Target.  Do that many people really shop there?  (Maybe we should be buying stock in Target, if that's the case.)
    It just goes to show how vulnerable we are to hacking of our financial and personal data.  I'm afraid that the horses are out of the barn, and it's too late to shut the door.      :-(

    Parent
    If you want the non-deceive the consumer (none / 0) (#19)
    by scribe on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 07:27:55 PM EST
    version, go see if Target has filed an 8-K with the SEC and read that.

    They should have filed something by now but a perusal of their website shows no 8-K filed since last November, which was about their 3rd quarter financial results.

    Parent

    "enroll by going to Target's website" (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Jan 11, 2014 at 11:48:12 AM EST
    Given the circumstances, not the most attractive option.

    Identity theft insurance is (none / 0) (#16)
    by BeDazzled on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 02:13:51 PM EST
    readily available for under $50/year with your homeowners/renters policies.

    Parent
    Neiman Marcus (none / 0) (#3)
    by Politalkix on Fri Jan 10, 2014 at 10:17:57 PM EST
    hacked. link

    This Is A Major Problem (none / 0) (#4)
    by john horse on Sat Jan 11, 2014 at 08:02:03 AM EST
    This is not just Target's problem.  These hackers are everywhere.  A coworker of mine just found out that her debit card was hacked.  First they withdrew a small, token amount (less than $10) of cash from her account.  Then they cleaned out her account.  Fortunately, her bank is restoring the funds that were stolen.  

    This is a major priority, given the increasing prevelence of e-commerce.  Think of the toll that this can have on our economic system. Attention must be paid.  

    Anybody here use a credit card at Wal-Mart? (none / 0) (#6)
    by unitron on Sat Jan 11, 2014 at 01:26:42 PM EST
    Do they ask for the CVV off the back of the card?

    I use both a visa and disc (none / 0) (#7)
    by Mikado Cat on Sat Jan 11, 2014 at 06:15:08 PM EST
    at walmart, they never touch my card, slide it, usually nothing to sign.

    Lots of Target shoppers are using a debt card with a pin.

    Parent

    I don't think I have ever been hacked (none / 0) (#8)
    by Mikado Cat on Sat Jan 11, 2014 at 06:22:28 PM EST
    , but I've had info stolen and credit cards used maybe three times, plus a couple times where out of the blue with no suspicious charges the issuing company sends me a new one for "security" issues.

    First time was old school theft of numbers off some charge slip or store clerk. First a charge to 1800 flowers to test the number, then a batch of car stereo equipment and skate board stuff shipped next day. What burned me about it is that while I got refunded the charges the CC company apparently did NOTHING about whoever did it, they just make the merchants eat the charges.

    Now there is a wholesale trade in CC info. The potential for economic chaos seems real.

    Merchants "eat" nothing - the consumer (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by BeDazzled on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 02:09:58 PM EST
    picked up those losses with future price increases.

    Parent
    What (none / 0) (#38)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 11:04:56 PM EST
    bothered me is that the thief gets away without even a token effort to catch them. Its junior crime training school.

    Parent
    Target is required bu law to disclose (none / 0) (#9)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 09:49:52 AM EST
    this information.  Not so Obamacare web site.  A majority of house Dems just voted against making such disclosure a requirement of law.

    Off topic (none / 0) (#10)
    by Yman on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 10:55:17 AM EST
    Funny how you guys can try to relate anything to an attack on Obama.  Love to see some of you guys take a Rorschack test.

    But good for those Reps that voted against this single sentence "bill" meant to scare people away from registering at the healthcare.gov website.

    Parent

    Rorschach (none / 0) (#11)
    by fishcamp on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 11:02:35 AM EST


    Parent
    I'm on my phone (none / 0) (#12)
    by Yman on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 11:06:30 AM EST
    But good spell-checking?

    Parent
    Actually I would love to take a (none / 0) (#13)
    by fishcamp on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 11:41:47 AM EST
    Rorschach test to find out about my personality and emotional functioning.  It has always seemed strange that they can interpret your answers from ink blots.  Wonder if Medicare covers that test?

    Parent
    I wouldn't be all that (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Zorba on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 03:38:18 PM EST
    Hot to trot about taking a Rorschach, fishcamp.  Too many variables, not nearly enough research validating its results for "personality and emotional functioning."  
    A lot (too much, really) depends upon the skills of the examiner, and I've never been convinced that these skilled examiners could not have gotten equally good results just talking to the patient.  Plus, for a smart patient, it's easy to "cheat."
    Color me skeptical, and I have been ever since I majored in psychology, way back in the Pleistocene, and we first studied the Rorschach.       ;-)

    Parent
    Its free (none / 0) (#39)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 11:07:28 PM EST
    from any Scientology center. If that gets covered by Obamacare its time to worry.

    Parent
    Yet another reason I'm glad (none / 0) (#17)
    by scribe on Sun Jan 12, 2014 at 03:16:45 PM EST
    I took a scissors to my credit cards 5 years ago.

    If I don't have cash, I don't buy.  In addition to leaving me more money at the end of the week, that cut way, way down on the accumulation of impulse-buy stuff.  (I still sometimes find it in my stuff from Before and wonder WTF I was thinking when I bought it.)  Bills, I pay by check.

    If I want to buy from a web-based seller, I contact them to see if they'll do a mail-order and take a postal money order.  If not, I move on to someone who will.  If they do, I figure the $1.05 for a money order is a hell of a lot cheaper than even the cheapest credit card, let alone interest and fees.  Not to mention identity theft.  A collateral benefit is that I do a lot more shopping locally, helpng support my local merchants instead of some big box owned by a remote billionaire and some hedge funds.

    And I tend to not shop at Target, both b/c their store is inconvenient to me and b/c they have crappy labor relations policies - possibly worse than WalMart (in some ways), if that's possible.

    Amen sir... (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Mon Jan 13, 2014 at 09:56:18 AM EST
    Summed up in a catchphrase..."don't be an a$$, use cash".

    Parent
    If this is the way you think (none / 0) (#24)
    by Coral Gables on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:18:57 PM EST
    I figure the $1.05 for a money order is a hell of a lot cheaper than even the cheapest credit card, let alone interest and fees.

    You don't understand the benefit of credit cards and you cost yourself lots of money with your lack of financial acumen.

    Parent

    I use my CCs for any and every purchase (5.00 / 4) (#33)
    by vml68 on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 04:21:02 PM EST
    possible for the cashback/points/miles, etc. And, pay of my accounts at the end of the month so I am not paying interest on anything.

    Having said that, I admire Kdog and Scribe for sticking to their principles and what they believe in, whether it costs them a few dollars or not.

    Parent

    Valid on both counts (none / 0) (#35)
    by CoralGables on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 05:05:42 PM EST
    You and I would be the leeches, as we don't pay them but rather they pay us. We use them to our advantage.

    Also, no problem with people sticking to their principles even if it costs them. (though it is a little like shooting oneself in the foot to try and make a point)

    Parent

    Costing myself money... (none / 0) (#29)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:50:41 PM EST
    never felt so good, never felt so right.  

    I wouldn't shat on scribe and I's our lack of "financial acumen" CG...I don't owe nobody a god damn cent, which is more than many Americans claiming "financial acumen" up the wazoo can say.  

    Parent

    Likewise (none / 0) (#43)
    by scribe on Wed Jan 15, 2014 at 08:57:56 PM EST
    I owe no money to anyone.

    Can you credit card using people say that?

    Parent

    Yes (none / 0) (#44)
    by CoralGables on Wed Jan 15, 2014 at 09:24:33 PM EST
    In fact they currently owe me money.

    Parent
    You are what the industry... (none / 0) (#45)
    by kdog on Thu Jan 16, 2014 at 06:39:30 AM EST
    refers to as a "deadbeat", which is a good thing  for you bro!

    But doesn't that say it all about the leeches?  More power to you getting over on the banks...but it ain't me babe, I prefer to use up my personal conscience compromise allotment elsewhere, like justifying my employment for example;)

    Parent

    Despite what John D Rockefeller (none / 0) (#30)
    by jondee on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:53:00 PM EST
    said, thrift was never emphasized in the New Testament..

    I don't give credit card companies my money because they have track record of being exploitive, rapacious, parasites. Why encourage them?

    Parent

    Leeches is what they are... (none / 0) (#31)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 02:59:13 PM EST
    and no amount of frequent flyer mile bribes & 2% cashback will change that fact.

    Parent
    kdog, I have 346,000 Delta miles, (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by fishcamp on Tue Jan 14, 2014 at 05:07:36 PM EST
    you and I could go to Rio, Bangkok, or Paris free.  I know all the places to both go and not go in those cities.  The trouble is at my age I may need a minder for the places we definitely need to go.  We don't have to stay long since that does take $$$.  I'd rather spend a week in Rio than Sochi even though they're both dangerous.  You carry the moola and I'll carry the plastic...we should be good.

    Parent
    You're killing me fishcamp.... (none / 0) (#41)
    by kdog on Wed Jan 15, 2014 at 08:29:20 AM EST
    the leeches' bribe to you just got personal...so so tempting my brother!  You're putting my principles to the test hardcore...every man has a price, did you just hit on mine?

    How many merchants got nickeled and dimed to supply those miles?  How many consumers got hammered on interest?  Will I still give a sh*t on Copacabana Beach???

    Parent

    The girls on Copacabana Beach (none / 0) (#42)
    by fishcamp on Wed Jan 15, 2014 at 01:00:07 PM EST
    do a little Samba dance as they make sand head rests for their towels.  Those are the girls in the Tangas...those teensy bikinis.  Yep Rio it is since Paris is too cold and Bangkok has a riot going on.  Hey I was cash only for years until I sold my house and received all that accountable money.  You'll be ok.

    Parent
    Kaptoxa: Russian Malware source IDed (none / 0) (#46)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Jan 16, 2014 at 08:23:26 PM EST
    (AP) NEW YORK 'The security breach that hit Target Corp. during the holiday season appears to have been part of a broader and highly sophisticated scam that potentially affected a large number of retailers, according to a report published by a global cyber intelligence firm that works with the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security.'

    (USA Today) SAN FRANCISCO -- The malware at the center of Target's recent data breach affecting millions of customers was partly written in Russian, according to a report issued Thursday by U.S. government authorities and cyber security researchers.

    iSight Partners Report:

    The identification and dissection of the malicious code provides two immediately important insights:
    1. Recent retailer data breaches may not have been targeted attacks, but may well be part of a broader data theft scheme focused on many operators of point-of-sale systems
    2. The scope, scale, and reach of recent data breaches is not yet known.
    New Target Numbers: 110 Million Customers Affected by Breach | 46 comments (46 topical)

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