Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane is encouraging consumers to be proactive in protecting their financial security in the wake of news that another major retailer, Neiman Marcus, suffered a breach potentially affecting more than 1 million consumers nationwide.
The Neiman Marcus breach comes just weeks after Target Corporation reported that sensitive payment card information was compromised for 40 million credit cards, as well as the personal information of 70 million customers.
Neiman Marcus disclosed last week that about 1.1 million consumer credit cards may have been affected. The company reported that malicious software on its system attempted to collect customer’s credit card information from July 16, 2013 to Oct. 30, 2013. The retailer also disclosed it learned that more than 2,000 Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards were fraudulently used at its retail and ‘Last Call’ discount stores.
Neiman Marcus operates three stores in the Philadelphia area, including a retail store at the King of Prussia Mall and two ‘Last Call’ clearance stores – one at the Franklin Mills Mall in northeast Philadelphia and one in Limerick, Montgomery County, at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. The retailer has not been able to confirm if online transactions have been impacted by the breach.
It is unclear at this time how many Pennsylvania consumers may have been affected. Neiman Marcus is notifying customers who shopped between January 2013 and January 2014 that it will provide for one year free credit monitoring and identity-theft protection through Experian’s ProtectMyID Alert. The service can be activated by visiting www.protectmyid.com/nm or by calling 1-866-579-2216. Consumers must sign up for the program by June 15, 2014.
Attorney General Kane encouraged Pennsylvania consumers to be proactive in monitoring their credit reports and financial account statements and reporting suspicious activity. The Bureau of Consumer Protection offers the following tips for consumers:
- Neiman Marcus customers should check their bank and credit card account statements for unauthorized charges, and immediately report them to the fraud department of their issuing bank or credit card provider.
- Consumers can check their credit report with the three nationwide consumer reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If consumers find errors on their report, contact the reporting company in writing. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report from each company every 12 months. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
- NOTE: AnnualCreditReport.com and the national credit reporting bureaus will not send consumers an email or call asking for personal information. Again, do not reply to unsolicited messages or click through any links. Hang up on such calls.
- NOTE: Consumers can place a fraud alert on their credit reports to help mitigate potential issues by contacting the three credit reporting agencies:
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
- Consumers should watch for “phishing“ schemes, or emails that appear to be from legitimate websites or companies that also have links. E-mails from Neiman Marcus about the breach will not contain any links. Delete such emails. Never provide sensitive personal information to unsolicited requests claiming to come from Neiman Marcus, banks or other institutions.
- For additional information, consumers may contact Neiman Marcus’s Hotline at 1-866-579-2216 or visit its website.
- Concerned consumers may also contact the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection’s helpline at 1-800-441-2555.
Attorney General Kane will keep consumers informed as needed regarding the Neiman Marcus breach.