As indoor dining still remains unavailable in many parts of California, it makes good sense to get dinner delivered or to go. But, as a consumer, you may want to think twice about using your credit or debit card at a restaurant because this is apparently a busy time for hackers as well. Restaurants are perfect targets for cyber attacks because of the sheer number of credit cards that go through their systems each day. Now, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, which has a number of restaurants in Southern and Northern California has been targeted by cybercriminals in a data breach, leaving millions of customer credit cards exposed.
Details of the Data Breach
Payment card details belonging to more than 3 million customers were exposed in a data breach at Dickey’s, which is the largest barbecue chain in the country. The data appears to have been collected directly from the chain’s point of sale. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between July 2019 and August 2020 is at risk. Data was posted to a hacker forum during the week of Oct. 12 and the breach was discovered by a cybersecurity firm that found the stolen cards on a hacker forum called “Joker’s Stash.”
Based on the firm’s findings, the hackers appear to have compromised a total of 156 stores out of 469 nationwide. A majority of these restaurants were in California and Arizona. So, residents of these states are asked to take extra caution and contact their banks about potential fraud risks. The cards are apparently being sold in the hacker forum for $17 each.
What Steps Can You Take?
The first step to take is to contact your bank or credit card company and let them know that your credit card is compromised. Your bank or credit card company can issue you a new card, which means your old one is closed. If any fraudulent charges have already been made, call your bank or credit card company as soon as possible. It might also be a good idea to contact the major consumer credit-reporting bureaus and ask each to place a fraud alert on your name. If you place a credit freeze, no one will be allowed to open an account in your name without your explicit authorization.
You may also want to sign up for a credit monitoring service. Keep a close watch on all your account statements to watch out for any unauthorized charges. If a data breach has victimized you, an experienced class action attorney may be able to provide you with more information regarding your legal rights.
Source: https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/dickeys-barbecue-pit-breach/759978/
