Sparhawk
03-30-2007, 08:13 AM
Bargain store TK Maxx has been targeted in what is thought to be the world's biggest ever credit card fraud.
More than 45 million customers in Britain and the US have had their details stolen by hackers.
Customers who shopped at TK Maxx between January 2003 and June 2004 are most at risk.
Banks and card companies have already found "preliminary evidence" of fraud using the data stolen from TJX and law enforcement authorities are investigating possible cases.
The numbers were accessed on the company's systems in Watford, Herts, and Framingham, Massachusetts.
The firm did not know how many of the cardholders affected were shoppers at TK Maxx's 210 stores in Britain and Ireland, although more of them were likely to be American.
Last week police charged six people in Florida with using credit card numbers that investigators believe were stolen from a TJX database to buy about £500,000 worth of electronics and jewellery with Wal-Mart gift vouchers.
Detectives have said they believe the suspects were not the actual hackers but had bought the card numbers from someone else.
More than 45 million customers in Britain and the US have had their details stolen by hackers.
Customers who shopped at TK Maxx between January 2003 and June 2004 are most at risk.
Banks and card companies have already found "preliminary evidence" of fraud using the data stolen from TJX and law enforcement authorities are investigating possible cases.
The numbers were accessed on the company's systems in Watford, Herts, and Framingham, Massachusetts.
The firm did not know how many of the cardholders affected were shoppers at TK Maxx's 210 stores in Britain and Ireland, although more of them were likely to be American.
Last week police charged six people in Florida with using credit card numbers that investigators believe were stolen from a TJX database to buy about £500,000 worth of electronics and jewellery with Wal-Mart gift vouchers.
Detectives have said they believe the suspects were not the actual hackers but had bought the card numbers from someone else.