On Oct. 9, Kmart’s Information Technology team detected their payment data systems had been breached and immediately launched a full investigation working with a leading IT security firm. The investigation to date indicates the breach started in early September. According to the security experts, Kmart store payment data systems were infected with a form of malware that was undetectable by current anti-virus systems. They state in a press release that they were able to quickly remove the malware. However, they believe certain debit and credit card numbers have been compromised. According to the press release, no personal information, no debit card PIN numbers, no email addresses and no social security numbers were obtained by those criminally responsible. There is also no evidence that kmart.com customers were impacted, the release said. Most credit card companies state that customers have no liability for any unauthorized charges if they report them in a timely manner. Also, Kmart will be offering free credit monitoring protection. If customers see any sign of suspicious activity, they should immediately contact their card issuer. The most up to date information will be available on kmart.com and customers can contact their customer care center at 888-488-5978.
