<p>I have not received an email from Target. I shopped there a lot during the time involved using my credit card, previously placed an online order with Target, and even used my email to sign up for Target Cartwheel. They should have access to my email, although we use a different email for the credit card. We have not had a problem with our credit card. We didn’t cancel it because two children used it when traveling back to school for the spring semester. I guess it’s time to get a new credit card number on the card I used at Target.</p>
<p>I realize this is only a small sample, but it appears that the email went out mostly to people who don’t regularly shop at Target. Sounds like a sales ploy. I might just take them up on the free credit monitoring, but I still won’t shop there. Not until I find out how they got my email address.</p>
<p>I’m another one who got the email but rarely shop at target. I did shop there early November, before the reported breach, once online and once in the store. I wonder if they feel they need to reach out to their “occasional” shoppers because they figure their regular ones will stick by them anyway.</p>
<p>I think we’ve reached a point where credit monitoring is going to be a standard practice for most families. We have used a service we pay for for the last several years. We get quarterly reports. My Dd has had her information stolen, and used, twice, so we know what havoc it creates. Both of her incidents originated from colleges, btw. I think many universities don’t have the kind of data security they should have.</p>
<p>if you shopped at Target, change your cards. I don’t go there that often, but I did shop there after Thanksgiving. Lo and behold, our checking account account was hacked last week. We live in California, and I noticed two charges for parking and gas in New Jersey. The bank refunded the charges and immediately sent new cards. Don’t wait- just do it. In my experience, the bank (Citibank) made it easy. I changed the credit cards, too, just to be safe. My daughter uses them sometimes at Target.</p>
<p>Debit cards are a problem as your account is vulnerable. ( sorry, tptshorty 
). Credit cards are a problem because your ID is vulnerable. Once they have your info, changing your card number won’t fix that. It can stop fraudulent charges, but you are still vulnerable if they have your personal info.</p>
<p>I shopped at Target during the security breach and got the email. I used a credit card which I daily monitor online. I haven’t seen any incidents yet and the CC company is monitoring for unusual activity. So it goes.</p>
<p>You can’t monitor ID theft from your credit card statements, though. I’d be more worried about the opening of new accounts in my name. My Dd even had someone renting an apartment and using her name and social for phone and electric bills. These are the things the monitoring services can see.</p>
<p>If it wasn’t Target this time, identity thieves could be attacking any other place you’ve ever used your cards. I don’t think any place/website is 100% secure. What are you gonna do? Just be vigilent.</p>
<p>Those of you who have signed up for the complimentary credit monitoring with Experian–is it mandatory to give your SSN? Because that seems like the thing you’re not supposed to do. Can’t they check you are who you are without that?</p>
<p>Yes you must give SSN.</p>
<p>Think about it…you ARE your SSN. It would only make sense that the company monitoring for illegal activity attached to your credit which is attached to your SSN would need it.</p>
<p>Don’t believe they ever got Ssn’s. personal info was email, name, address, etc but I agree it is best to monitor anyway.
Also on cnbc currently is a story about at least 6 other us merchants who have been notified they too are infected with this malware so target and heisman Marcus may be the tip of the iceberg. Our homeland security needs to trace this and tighten security levels here. This is financial terrorism.
My local grocery store was hacked in November with same malware. They are after credit card numbers to duplicate and use. Watch for any weird charges. Often they try a very small charge, as little as a .01 to first test if the account is active. This happened to us but our cc company–chase-- called us immediately over the .01 charge. In the past two years we have replaced a card three times. Target, grocery store, and the weird .01 charge. This is costing Americans and businesses plenty, not to mention piece of mind. I personally can not get myself to do banking online for fear of my info being compromised.</p>
<p>be on the lookout for unknown gas station charges, which is where fraud can happen easily and can be the first attempted use. The perp will swipe at a gas station island, far away from any witnesses, and if the card works, they’ll then head off to purchase more expensive goods. But if the card number doesn’t work, they toss it.</p>
<p>My sis and I were at Target last week. I paid cash, she used a CC. She just got an email that her info may have been compromised. I didn’t get any emails.</p>
<p>The credit freeze idea is sounding increasingly attractive. :). Scary that the malware is so far flung and sophisticated at harvesting info. Yikes–hope it is soon stopped!</p>
<p>Agree about gas station and fraud alerts. The few times any purchases have been challenged have been at gas stations. Always legit purchases (battery or service, but more than a tank of gas).</p>
<p>It was at a parking meter and a gas station where my hacked debit card info was first used- Hess in New Jersey. I live in California, so I didn’t know Hess was a chain of gas stations until I googled it. It just showed up on my statement as Hess. It sounded like a menswear store to me, like Bass. What kind of name for a gas station is Hess?</p>
<p>Well, Leon Hess takes the blame for the name. I think if you founded an oil refinery you might name it as TptShorty Corp too. :)</p>
<p>I wonder how many hacks it takes before it becomes less expensive to switch to chip based cards?</p>
<p>[Credit</a> Card Magnetic Stripes Are Putting You at Risk of Identity Theft | New Republic](<a href=“Credit Card Magnetic Stripes Are Putting You at Risk of Identity Theft | The New Republic”>Credit Card Magnetic Stripes Are Putting You at Risk of Identity Theft | The New Republic)</p>
<p>Leon Hess was also the longtime owner of the NY Jets.</p>
<p>Yep. that’s why they wear green.</p>
<p>And is it possible that some parts of the country don’t hear “The Hess Truck’s back!” commercials at Christmas???</p>