By Scott Buttram
Michaels said in a statement released today that customers’ bank card information may have been compromised in a data security attack.
The company said that it recently learned of possible fraudulent activity on some U.S. payment cards that had been used at Michaels.
Michaels has a location in Trussville on U.S. Highway 11.
“We are working closely with federal law enforcement and are conducting an investigation with the help of third-party data security experts to establish the facts,” CEO Chuck Rubin said in a statement. “Although the investigation is ongoing, based on the information we have received and in light of the widely-reported criminal efforts to penetrate the data systems of U.S. retailers, we believe it is appropriate to notify our customers that a potential issue may have occurred.”
Customers were told to keep a close eye on their bank accounts and be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity. The card issuer or financial institution should be contacted immediately if any suspicious activity is noted.
Michaels’ statement said it would offer monitoring assistance to customers who may have been affected.
“If we find as part of our investigation that any of our customers were affected, we will offer identity protection and credit monitoring services to them at no cost,” Rubin said.