PF Chang's latest restaurant chain to be the victim of a major security breach, according to the press release of the restaurant. The restaurant chain based in Arizona - which operates more than 200 restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Chile and the Middle East - said 33 restaurants were affected by the breach and list each specific locations and dates of the violation. Restaurants affected by the breach are located in 18 states, and California has the largest number of restaurants affected with a total of 8 locations. The dates of the violations vary according to location of the restaurant, but the length of the longest time was 19 October 2013 to 11 June 2014. You can see a complete list of locations and dates relevant to pfchangs.com/security.
What information was exposed in the mp Violating Chang?
mp Chang said of some of the data rate and credit cards used in 33 locations in certain dates was raped. These potentially stolen data includes the card number and, in some cases, also the name of the card holder and / or the expiry date of the card. The restaurant chain said it has not determined the total number of affected cards.
How the violation does not occur?
Unfortunately mp Chang did not reveal all the details on how the violation occurred, but said the breach was caused by a compromise with the security of card processing. He noted that the restaurant chain was the credit and debit card data safe treatment since June 11, 2014. Chang mp working on an ongoing investigation with third forensic experts.
What should I do to protect myself?
If you use your debit or credit card at one of 33 sites affected, then there are some steps you need to take as soon as possible to ensure that your information remains safe from theft 'identity.
1. Monitor your bank statements: Once you have confirmed that you have used your card at one of the places listed in the links above, you must pull up all your previous bank statements and make sure there are no fraudulent activity. If you spot a transaction you do not recognize or know that you did not complete, contact your bank immediately and report the potential fraud. The representative of the customer service of your bank should be able to help you with the process of fraud reports.
It is important to note that tracking your bank statements should be something you do regularly because it can help you detect potential fraudulent activity before it becomes uncontrollable.
2. Request a new debit card or credit card: Usually banks Renew a debit or credit card if you have confirmed fraud on the account, but it does there is no harm to inquire about it. That said, there are some circumstances where a bank reissue cards as a proactive measure in the event of a major violation. It is better for you to call your bank and see what their specific policy on reissuing cards.
3. Consider signing for identity theft protection: For PF Chang has not clearly indicated what information was leaked to what places, this may be a step you want to take to make your protection a step further. Most identity theft protection services will provide you with reports and three bureau credit notes but also to actively monitor your credit reports and alert you if something is added or changed on one of your reports.
In addition, these services also monitor the use of your personal information to make sure it is not sold or traded on the black market on the Internet or used by anyone on the public folders. To top it all, these services offer you advice and assistance in the event you be victim of identity theft while you are a member. Read our identity theft protection critical to know more about these services and see which service will best suit your needs.