Credit card security breach over
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LAKE COUNTY — It is safe to break out the plastic at local grocery stores again. Spokane-based distributor URM Stores announced Dec. 2 that a cyber attack that stole account information of many customers across the Pacific Northwest was over.
The attack affected customers of many banks in Mission Valley who shopped at URM member stores that include Pablo Family Foods, Rod’s Harvest Foods and Super 1 Foods. The stores were not at fault for the data breach. Local banks also weren’t responsible, but had to reimburse their customers for thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges.
On Nov. 25 URM Stores alerted member stores that it likely suffered a security breach that the Secret Service was investigating. By that time, local banks had been seeing a stream of fraudulent charges from locations across the nation for two weeks.
URM Stores imposed tougher security measures, and purchases made with cards after Nov. 25 are believed to have been safe —although grocers put out signs and flyers advising customers to not use debit or credit cards after that date.
Cards used before Nov. 25 are still possibly vulnerable to attack. Customers are encouraged to continue monitoring their bank accounts. URM Stores has set up a hotline to answer questions about the attack at 877-237-7408.