LAS VEGAS - Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto cautions consumers to monitor their credit/debit card statements for unauthorized transactions as Target recently announced "unauthorized intrusion" in their systems.
"Nevadans need to be vigilant and monitor their credit and debit card statements closely, especially Target shoppers who visited the store this holiday season," said Masto.
According to a Target statement, credit and debit card information for approximately 40 million consumers may have been compromised between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.
Target has determined that the breach involves credit card and debit card information for purchases at its U.S. retail stores only; online purchases were not affected. Target reports that the compromised credit and debit card information included customer name, credit or debit card number, the card's expiration date and CVV information. However, Target also indicates that the three digit CVV2 codes on the back of cards were not affected, as well as PIN numbers for debit cards.
If you shopped at a Target retail store between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 using a credit or debit card:
Regularly monitor statements for that credit or debit card for unauthorized activity (you do not have to wait to receive your monthly statements).
Be wary of calls or email "phishing" scams related to the breach that may appear to offer protection but are really trying to get personal information form you such as your Social Security number. For instance, do not click on links within such emails; instead go directly to the web site you would like to visit.
You may also want to obtain a copy of your credit report and look for unauthorized activity in that report as well. Under federal law, consumers are entitled to receive one free credit report from each credit reporting agency every year.
To obtain a free credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call (877) 322-8228. It is always a good idea to regularly check your credit reports, whether or not you suspect possible fraud.
As a precautionary measure, consider placing a free fraud alert on your credit report by calling one of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. Call Equifax at (800) 525-6285, Experian at (888) 397-3742, or TransUnion at (800) 680-7289. You only need to call one of these agencies. A fraud alert remains on your credit file for 90 days.
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