Identity theft is increasingly worrisome in the electronic age. Unfortunately, not all companies take adequate precautions to keep their customers’ credit and debit card information secure. Target recently confirmed that a data breach, which occurred between November 27th and December 15th of this year, has made approximately 40 million accounts across the United States vulnerable to identity theft. Specifically, Target acknowledged that its customers’ names, debit or credit card numbers, card expiration dates, and three-digit security codes on the back of most cards were stolen. Armed with this information, cybercriminals are able to make online purchases, which in turn requires the victims of identity theft to take costly remedial measures to prevent future harm, such as credit monitoring. In response to the breach, Target notified law enforcement authorities and financial institutions, but did not notify customers until December 19, 2013. The breach is now being investigated by the Secret Service.
Our team is actively investigating a potential class action against Target. If you or someone you know used a credit or debit card to shop at Target between November 27th and December 15th of this year, and subsequently became a victim of identity theft, please contact us to discuss your legal options.