Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) confirmed that it is actively working with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Secret Service regarding the ongoing investigation related to the massive credit and debit card security breach that affected millions of customers who shopped at its stores during the first three weeks of the holiday shopping season.
According to Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), the Secret Services requested the company not to share most of the details of the forensics and investigation to the public due to the nature of the probe. The second largest U.S. retailer also said that its general counsel reached out to state attorneys general and invited them to a call on Monday afternoon.
Last Saturday, the attorneys general in the state of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York communicated with Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) their intention to investigate the cyberattack and requested more information about the problem.
Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) did not identify which state attorneys general were contacted by its General Counsel Timothy Baer to provide updates regarding the data breach. To date, 15 class action lawsuits have been filed against the retailer in connection with the problem. The complainants alleged that the company failed to appropriately protect customer information, and/or did not notify customers immediately regarding the breach.
“We continue to experience a high volume of calls to our call center and have more than doubled the number of team members taking calls around the clock to help them resolve any issues they may have. We have communicated to 17 million guests via email and reminded them that unless they have seen fraudulent activity on their account, there is no urgent need to call,” according to the recent statement of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT).
The company said its team together with its senior executives continues to work around the clock to help resolve the problem. It also continues to provide tips for customers via social media such as the step-by-step guide to set up alerts to receive notification every time a transaction is made on their REDcard account.
Separately, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sent a letter to the Federal Trade Communication (FTC) to launch an investigation regarding the cyberattack. In his letter to the agency, Blumenthal wrote, “If Target failed to adequately protect customer information, it denied customers the protection that they rightly expect when a business collects their personal information. Its conduct would be unfair and deceptive.”
A spokesperson for the FTC confirmed that the agency received the letters of the lawmakers, but did not provide any information whether it is conducting investigation regarding the issue. The spokesperson cited that it is FTC’s policy not to discuss any detail regarding ongoing investigations.
