Sweetbay and Hannaford Market Data Breach

[punkpup]

I know this has been in the news lately but just in case......

Sweetbay and Hannaford Market Data Breach

A breach into the computer system of Maine-based Hannaford Bros. Co. supermarket chain resulted in the theft of up to 4.2 million customer's credit and debit card numbers from more than 200 stores including all 165 Hannaford stores in New England and New York State, and 106 Sweetbay stores in Florida. Also affected were certain independently owned retail locations in the Northeast that carry Hannaford products.

The data appears to have been stolen between December 7, 2007 and March 10, 2008. It has been reported that the theft of the account numbers did not provide enough information for thieves to access cardholders accounts. This means that in cases where fraudulent activity actually has taken place using the stolen card numbers, the thieves were able to match stolen account numbers to names by other means, perhaps through phishing.

[travelstiles]

This topic has been listed under the following posts, but is well worth repeating (I happened to have been a victim of this fraud).


It is important for Sweetbay customers who used credit and check cards to read this post.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/smf/index.php/topic,5488.0.html




Below is some info I included on the earlier threads as well:



Most credit card companies do monitor activity, but that may not always the case for debit purchases, though that is changing. Liability may be different - check with your card issuer.
Below are some guidelines and informative links to for both credit and debit card info:

From bankrate.com - http://www.bankrate.com/bos/news/check_card/debit_card_tips_a1.asp
Best practices:
1. Keep receipts, and note debits in your checking register.
2. Check your account balance frequently either online or through the bank to avoid overdraft.
3. Beware of bank overdraft policies and fees. Customers can decline the bank's "convenience" coverage for overdraft, which could cost high fees if they overdraw their accounts. Instead, sign up for overdraft protection that is covered by a savings account.
4. Most debit cards now have "zero liability" protection that exceeds what the federal laws call for, so security is a lesser issue. Still, consumers should check with their banks to see how debit transactions are processed. Only those going through the Discover, MasterCard or Visa networks may be covered by zero liability.
5. PIN transactions are more secure than signature transactions, although most don't qualify for reward points.
6. If consumers pay off their credit card balances each month, they're better off using a credit card with better rewards for purchases than a debit card or check card.
7. Find out what the bank's daily limit for usage is for your checking account.
8. If a cardholder's balance is low, it's best not to use debit for purchases such as gas, where a hold of $50 will be placed on the card.

http://www.dolans.com/banking/debit_card_warning.html
http://www.dolans.com/credit_smarts/traps_tricks/report_identity_theft_quickly_to_minimize_damage.h tml?cc=forward

[jtdraig]

What's irritating is that this is the second time in less than a year that I have had to replace the same VISA debit card. The first was the result of a Shell gas payment which got hacked in the clearing house that night. The second was Sweetbay. So, I've decided to get a credit card with a fairly low maximum, say $1000. and use that for routine purchases.