According to cyber-security reporter Brian Krebs, videogame retail giant GameStop Corp. is investigating reports of a data breach of its website Gamestop.com – one of the largest online videogame retailers globally.
Krebs reports that Gamestop.com’s credit card processor was likely compromised by cyber-criminals at some time between mid-September 2016 and the first week of February 2017. The compromised data is said to include customer names, card numbers, expiration dates, addresses, and card verification values (CVV – normally a 3- or 4-digit security code printed on credit cards). The potential security breach is particularly alarming because online merchants are not supposed to store CVV codes.
Data thieves intentionally hack into inadequately protected servers to steal personal information with the primary incentive of using that private data to commit identity theft and financial fraud. Identity theft wreaks havoc on consumers’ finances, credit history, and reputation and can take time, money, and patience to resolve. Identity thieves use stolen personal information for a variety of crimes, including credit card fraud, phone or utilities fraud, banking or finance fraud, and government fraud. Moreover, a person whose personal information has been compromised may not see the full extent of identity theft or fraud for years.
At this time, it remains unclear exactly how many customers were impacted and how far back the scope of the theft reaches. If you used your debit or credit card at any time to place an order on Gamestop.com, then your information may have been stolen. Please contact FBFG to explore your rights.
FBFG lawyers are experienced in prosecuting class actions on behalf of data breach victims. For example, FBFG lawyers recently secured a “record-setting” settlement in a data breach case.