Business & Tech

'Massive Data Breach' at Target May Involve 40 Million Customers

Credit and debit card information of millions of customers who shopped at the retailer starting on Black Friday could be at risk.

The credit and debit card information of millions of customers could be at risk after potential data theft at Target stores across the country, Fox News reports.

The Secret Service confirmed toUSA TODAY that it is investigating the massive theft -- potentially involving 40 million shoppers' personal credit-card information.

The breach began on Black Friday, and continued until Dec. 15, according to the report. It's possible someone could have stolen information stored on the magnetic stripe on the backs of cards. If a pin number was acquired, the person can then use an ATM to withdraw cash from a customer's bank account. The thieves could also use the information to create counterfeit credit cards.

Target is based in Minneapolis, with almost 1,800 stores in the United States and 124 in Canada, according to its website. The data theft does not appear to involve online purchases.

Has anyone been affected by potential data theft at Target during this timespan? 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here