Security breach discovered in credit card system at Ross-Simons

CRANSTON, R.I. --Specialty retailer Ross-Simons said a security breach detected earlier this month compromised personal information on tens of thousands of customers.

The breach affects about 32,000 customers who applied for store credit cards from October 2004, when the cards were first issued, to April 4, when the problem was verified, Ross-Simons spokesman Dante Bellini Jr. said Thursday.

The Cranston-based company was contacting all those affected, and law enforcement authorities were investigating, Bellini said.

He said the cause of the external system breach had been identified and corrected. He declined to elaborate on how the problem was discovered or exactly how it occurred.

Bellini said the data that was accessed was similar to the information on any credit application, including Social Security numbers.

Ross-Simons mails more than 60 million catalogs a year and operates 15 outlet and retail stores nationwide, including in Warwick and in the Providence Place mall.