Credit Card Breach At P.F. Chang's

schwit1 tips a post by Brian Krebs saying that P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a nationwide restaurant chain, is the latest victim of a massive data breach. The company is currently investigating. Krebs writes: On June 9, thousands of newly-stolen credit and debit cards went up for sale on rescator[dot]so, an underground store best known for selling tens of millions of cards stolen in the Target breach. Several banks contacted by KrebsOnSecurity said they acquired from this new batch multiple cards that were previously issued to customers, and found that all had been used at P.F. Chang's locations between the beginning of March 2014 and May 19, 2014. ... The items for sale are not cards, per se, but instead data copied from the magnetic stripe on the backs of credit cards. Armed with this information, thieves can re-encode the data onto new plastic and then use the counterfeit cards to buy high-priced items at big box stores, goods that can be quickly resold for cash (think iPads and gift cards, for example).

Re:Cash and checks

[lexman098]

I use credit cards for 99% of my purchases. That way I avoid the issue of dealing with change and refilling on cash. I've never been held responsible for a fraudulent charge.

Re:Cash and checks

[vux984]

I use cash or checks for 99% of my purchases. That way I avoid this issue. I'm also an old guy so "Get off my lawn!"

Is it a real issue or a theoretical issue? I've seen a few fraudulent charges over the years, and the bank has never given me any greif over any of them.

Your solution of carrying cash exposes you to higher risk of direct loss or theft. And you lose the card rewards program.

As for cheques -- yeah, whatever, because those aren't stupidly easy to forge; and most people won't even take them anymore.

On the upside you have a smallish boost in privacy relating to your purchases. (locations, times, and amount spent)

Seems you've traded one set of small risks for another. Not sure that amounts to a real overall improvement though.

Re:Restaurants etc.

[vux984]

Minimize the number of places you expose your CC numbers. Pay cash where feasible. Use debit cards ONLY at bank terminals. Be especially careful at restaurants and gas stations.

Or, if your in good standing with your bank, don't worry about it. The banks are good about fraudulent charges in the civilized world.

Re:Cash and checks

[swell]

"I use credit cards for 99% of my purchases. That way I avoid the issue of dealing with change and refilling on cash. I've never been held responsible for a fraudulent charge."

  - OTOH, I use CASH for 90% of my purchases. Only one retailer (a major online company) knows my card number and they are unlikely to leak it. Similarly I have no revealing 'loyalty cards' for grocery & drug store purchases.

So my wallet is much thinner than yours and I have little fear of identity theft. I carry $200-$400 at all times. If it is stolen, I will be unhappy but not as much as if my identity is stolen.

I don't think it's anyone's business if I purchase adult diapers or pron or medicines or alcohol. Should I reveal that in return for 'rewards'? You will have to decide for yourself if you want to advertise your lifestyle in exquisite detail to worldwide data marketers.

Re:Someone's let the POS out of the bag!

[nitehawk214]

If it's stripe data, that implies the POS readers were compromised, just like Target. Interesting.

Yes, they have been compromised at the factory, which I stated in the Target Breaches, but no ones to believe because I will NOT name my sources.

And you are cross at people for believing your claim with no evidence? You must be religious.