Was gonna go to Target and buy some underwear but decided to just send my medical records and PIN numbers instead.

Target customers whose information -- name, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses -- was stolen need not have shopped at the retailer's stores during the busy holiday shopping season, a spokeswoman confirmed Friday.

The information, said Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder, was collected during the "course of normal business," and could include online shopping.

http://www.latimes.com/business/mone...#ixzz2q2ScbSoH

Target and Neiman Marcus could be the tip of the iceberg, if a new Reuters report is correct. The organization writes that at least three other US retailers also suffered data breaches "using similar techniques" to the one that penetrated Target last month. Reuters doesn't specify the names of the companies affected, only that they are "well-known US retailers" which do their business in shopping malls, and aren't yet certain whether the people responsible for the Target breach — which exposed up to 70 million names, email address, and phone numbers — perpetrated these cyberattacks as well.

Target's business was notably affected by its breach, with the company announcing that sales might have fallen as much as 2.5 percent compared to the prior year due to the breach, so it's not surprising that other companies might not have come forward to announce that their data had been compromised unless compelled by law. However, Reuters' sources suggest that the other companies experienced smaller breaches than the one at Target, so perhaps the type or amount of data stolen wasn't sufficient to require a major announcement.

Dear Target Guest,
As you may have heard or read, Target learned in mid-December that criminals forced their way into our systems and took guest information, including debit and credit card data. Late last week, as part of our ongoing investigation, we learned that additional information, including name, mailing address, phone number or email address, was also taken. I am writing to make you aware that your name, mailing address, phone number or email address may have been taken during the intrusion.
I am truly sorry this incident occurred and sincerely regret any inconvenience it may cause you. Because we value you as a guest and your trust is important to us, Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring to all Target guests who shopped in U.S. stores, through Experian’s® ProtectMyID® product which includes identity theft insurance where available. To receive your unique activation code for this service, please go to creditmonitoring.target.com and register before April 23, 2014. Activation codes must be redeemed by April 30, 2014.
In addition, to guard against possible scams, always be cautious about sharing personal information, such as Social Security numbers, passwords, user IDs and financial account information. Here are some tips that will help protect you:
Never share information with anyone over the phone, email or text, even if they claim to be someone you know or do business with. Instead, ask for a call-back number.
Delete texts immediately from numbers or names you don’t recognize.
Be wary of emails that ask for money or send you to suspicious websites. Don’t click links within emails you don’t recognize.
Target’s email communication regarding this incident will never ask you to provide personal or sensitive information.
Thank you for your patience and loyalty to Target. You can find additional information and FAQs about this incident at our Target.com/databreach website. If you have further questions, you may call us at 866-852-8680.
Gregg Steinhafel

Chairman, President and CEO

Interestingly, that Target actually tried to collaborate with Visa 10 years ago, to use chip cards in 1,000 stores. But executives shelved the effort over worries that chip-based cards slowed down checkout speeds.