Banks begin reporting fraud with TJX cards
The Massachusetts Bankers Association said today that several banks across the state have reported incidents of fraud connected with debit and credit card numbers stolen from TJX Cos. computer system.
Already, the cards have been used to make purchases in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana in the U.S., and Hong Kong and Sweden overseas.
TJX, which did not return immediate calls for comment, disclosed a week ago that a hacker stole credit and debit card numbers and drivers' license numbers from it computer system in what could be one of the largest security breaches ever.
So far, nearly 60 banks have been contacted by the card companies about compromised cards, and these banks are notifying customers and in many cases reissuing new cards.
The bankers association is cautioning, however, that the number is likely to grow higher as, thus far, less than half of the 205 banks in Massachusetts have reported into the association because it takes time to detect fraudulent transactions.
Daniel J. Forte, chief executive of the Massachusetts Bankers Association said in a statement, “We want to remind consumers that you will be fully reimbursed if a fraudulent transaction occurs during the unauthorized use of a card with a Visa or MasterCard logo on it. Moreover, though it did not cause this problem, your bank is taking extra steps to try and prevent fraud from occurring.”
(By Jenn Abelson, Globe staff)
