A network of knockoff apparel stores exposed 330,000 customer credit cards
A massive data breach at a network of knockoff apparel stores has exposed the credit card information of more than 330,000 customers.
The data breach was first discovered by security researcher Brian Krebs, who reported that the compromised data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates, and card verification codes.
The affected stores are all part of the Sameer Group, a network of more than 100 stores that sell counterfeit clothing and accessories. The group includes stores such as Sam’s Club, Dress Barn, Rainbow, and Charlotte Russe.
According to Krebs, the data breach was caused by a third-party vendor that handles credit card processing for the Sameer Group. The vendor, Worldpay, acknowledged the breach in a statement to Krebs.
“Worldpay recently learned of a data security incident affecting a subset of our U.S. merchants. We are taking aggressive steps to determine the nature and scope of the incident and to protect our customers,” the statement said.
Worldpay did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The Sameer Group also acknowledged the breach in a statement to Krebs.
“We were recently made aware of a potential data security incident involving customer credit card information at some of our stores. We are taking this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement and a leading cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident,” the statement said.
“We are also in the process of notifying potentially affected customers and providing them with resources to protect themselves. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.”
This is not the first time the Sameer Group has been hit by a data breach. In 2015, the group was targeted by hackers who accessed the credit card information of more than 1.2 million customers.
The data from the latest breach has not been publicly released, but Krebs says it is likely to end up on the “dark web” where it can be sold to criminals.
If you have shopped at any of the affected stores in the past year, it is important to monitor your credit card statements for fraudulent charges. You should also consider changing your credit card number to reduce the risk of your information being compromised in the future. According to a report released by cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows, a network of knockoff apparel stores has exposed approximately 330,000 customer credit cards.
The report estimates that the total amount of fraud associated with this network could be as high as $30 million.
The network, which consists of approximately 200 websites, has been active since at least 2013 and uses various methods to avoid detection. For example, the websites use genuine SSL certificates and have been hosted on legitimate servers.
The report also found that the network uses a variety of payment processors, including PayPal, Skrill, and G2A Pay.
According to Digital Shadows, the best way to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to be vigilant when making online purchases, especially from unfamiliar websites. You should also check your credit card statements regularly for any unauthorized charges.