If you shopped in a Target store over the past few weeks since Black Friday on Nov. 29, your credit card or debit card may be part of a massive data breach. This data breach could lead to unauthorized charges on your credit or debit card, and it could lead to identity theft.
If you are concerned about your financial information being compromised in the data breach, the BBB has these five tips:
1. Keep receipts in case you have to prove which charges you authorized and which ones you did not authorize.
2. Review your accounts. Check your credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges every few days.
3. Watch out for email scams. Don’t fall for fake phishing emails purporting to be from Target, your bank or your credit card company about the data breach which instruct you to click on links or download attachments. If you click on links or download attachments, your computer will be infected with viruses designed to steal your personal information.
4. Check your credit reports with all three credit bureaus to make sure that no one has opened credit accounts in your names. You can get a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
5. Put an alert on your credit report so that you are notified when new credit accounts are opened in your name. Or, you can freeze your credit report so that no new accounts can be opened in your name.
For more information, please visit BBB or call 1-877-317-7236 toll-free in N.C. and S.C.