Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Credit Card, Debit Card Data Stolen From 40 Million Target Shoppers
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 19, 2013
Modified Dec 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 19, 2013
Modified Dec 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, it was revealed that retailing giant Target suffered a major security breach. As KrebsOnSecurity first reported, it involves "millions of customer credit and debit card records... The sources said the breach appears to have begun on or around Black Friday 2013 — by far the busiest shopping day the year." And now Target says it looks like 40 million customers' information may have been compromised between November 27 and December 15 of this year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "**The theft was national in scope and happened in stores, not online, and may have involved tampering with the machines customers use to swipe their cards when making purchases...**The data affected in the breach included customer names, credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates and CVV security codes, according to a notice posted for customers on the Target website."
A Target spokesperson said, "This was obviously a very sophisticated crime." The Times reports, "In such cases, security experts say a company insider could have inserted malware into a company machine, or persuaded an unsuspecting employee to click on a malicious link that downloaded software that gives cybercriminals a foothold into a company’s systems."
Target issued a statement today, with chairman Gregg Steinhafel saying, "Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice."
The company added, "Target alerted authorities and financial institutions immediately after it was made aware of the unauthorized access, and is putting all appropriate resources behind these efforts. Among other actions, Target is partnering with a leading third-party forensics firm to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. More information is available at Target’s corporate website. Guests who suspect unauthorized activity should contact Target at: 866-852-8680."
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the breach.
Tagged
malware
phishing
security breach
Shopping
target store
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .