DSW, a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc. with 176 shoe stores nationwide, has been the target of credit and debit card data theft. The company said data was stolen in 108 stores from consumers who shopped between mid-November 2004 and mid-February 2005.
Transaction information such as card numbers, names, and transaction amount involving 1.4 million credit cards was stolen. Transaction information such as checking account numbers and driver’s license numbers was stolen involving 96,000 checks. DSW stressed the fact that pin numbers, names, addresses, and social security numbers of its customers were not stolen.
Debbie Ferre, President of DSW said a forensic investigation performed by the nation’s leading computer security firms Ubizen confirmed the stolen data.The company said it notified the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), United States Attorney’ Office, and the U.S. Secret Service to investigate and prosecute those involved.
“We understand that our customers feel violated by this criminal act, and we feel the same,” said Ferre in a statement.
“Our sincere apologies go out to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused. We will continue to work with authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for this crime to the full extent of the law.”
DSW reported all stolen credit and debit card numbers to the cardholder associations (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). The company said it has implemented measures to prevent further data theft.
