Jan. 29, 2014

By Alexandria Zamecnik

By Michael Riley

Black Friday launched the start of the second-largest credit card scam in the United States, which still affects people more than two months later.

More than 110 million customers nationwide had their credit cards hacked and/or information stolen while shopping at Target stores.

Stolen information included names, mailing address, phone numbers and credit card information.

Royal Purple talked to students who found themselves in the recent Target credit card scam.

Royal Purple: When did you first find out you were in trouble?
Senior Tommy Pocernich:  I never knew I was in trouble. I was shopping at Target on Black Friday, and that’s the only time I have shopped there. I don’t have any nearby, only in Madison, so even when I heard the news I wasn’t too concerned about it.

RP: What was your first reaction?
Pocernich: I was surprised, but didn’t really worry about my account or anything. I didn’t even remember shopping at Target until my bank reminded me of it.

RP: Where do you bank?
Pocernich: Associated Bank.

RP: What did they do to solve it?
Pocernich: They sent me a debit card to my home address with a new card number. It said I have 30 days from the date I received it to activate it, and then the old account would be closed for my protection. They also said they were monitoring my card for suspicious activity, but there was none.

RP: How do you feel knowing that your information can be accessed like that?
Pocernich:  I am comfortable with it because as technology advances, people will always be trying access information.  I try not to worry about it too much. My bank treats me very well and they have always helped me with anything. I believe that my bank would help me out if my information were ever hacked.

RP: When did you first find out you were in trouble?
Senior Melissa Rosenbaum:  After I heard the news, I realized that I went to Target around the time of the problem.

RP: What was your first reaction?
Rosenbaum: I wondered if any of my money was stolen and was surprised that somebody could get all of that information by you just sliding your card.

RP: Where do you bank?
Rosenbaum: Chase Bank.

RP: What did they do to solve it?
Rosenbaum: They wrote me an email saying I used my card at Target during the problem.  They told me that they would be sending me a new card with new numbers, in case somebody got ahold of my old number.

RP: How do you feel knowing that your information can be accessed like that?
Rosenbaum: I don’t feel very comfortable knowing that my information could be accessed, and now I am now more aware that I shouldn’t be using my card online and being more careful where I use it.

RP: When did you first find out you were in trouble?
Sophomore Myranda Weiner: I first found out about the scam when I got a phone call from my dad at work on Jan. 14. He told me that there were possible fraudulent charges on my debit card.

RP: What was your first reaction?
Weiner: I really didn’t believe it was happening. I am a true Target shopper and shop there all the time, so to believe that it actually happened to me out of the millions of information leaked was shocking.

RP: Where do you bank?
Weiner: Bank of America

RP: What did they do to solve it?
Weiner: I called them and spent the majority of my morning on the phone with people all over the country at Bank of America. I had three charges on my card: an online charge of over $1,000 at Best Buy, an in-store charge to Best Buy for $750 and some zagg.com charge for $120. They obviously had to cancel my card and were able to take off two of the charges from my account. They then had to file a claim to work on taking the $700 charge off my account.

RP: How do you feel knowing that your information can be accessed like that?
Weiner: Luckily my account is taken care of now. However, it bothers me that no one has figured out the problem and how to fix it with so many other companies now having customers’ personal information leaked to the public for all to see. I am still a Target shopper and forever will be, but I am still a little leery about using my debit card until all these problems are cleared up.