Thursday, January 18, 2007

T.J. Maxx Security Breach

We're all aware of the possible dangers of shopping online. If a website doesn't have a secure log in and order for (https), we shouldn't be shopping with them. But what about a local retail outlet? Is a credit card purchase there secure? While there's always the possibility of dishonest employees, we'd like to assume “yes.” However, this story proves that retail stores are also likely to get hacked along with online vendors. Retail company T.J. Maxx had its credit card computer system hacked just before Christmas.

The computer network in question handles credit cards, debit cards and checks. This network was broken into, and some of the customer data was stolen. T.J. Maxx is investigating to find out exactly what information was compromised so they can contact victims.

The store has issued a customer alert on their website as well as providing a customer helpline to handle customer questions and concerns. If you've made any credit or debit card purchases at T.J. Maxx in the past, you may want to check your credit card or bank statements for charges you didn't make.

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