Costco is an American multinational retail giant that operates a large chain of membership-only retail stores, the fifth-largest retailer worldwide, and the tenth-largest corporation in the US by total revenue according to Fortune 500 rankings. As of March 2021, Costco had 804 stores worldwide, of which 558 are in the US.
Earlier in November 2021, Costco Wholesale Corporation notified its customers of a data breach that may have exposed their payment card information. The potential compromise originated from a credit card skimmer that cyber criminals had installed on a payment terminal at one of Costco’s stored. Costco indicated that once the skimming device was discovered by its personnel, it removed the device and contacted law enforcement agencies to expedite investigations.
“We recently discovered a payment card skimming device at a Costco warehouse you recently visited,” said the letter sent to affected customers. “Our member records indicate that you swiped your payment card to make a purchase at the affected terminal during the time the device may have been operating.” The letter continued: “If unauthorized parties were able to remove information from the device before it was discovered, they may have acquired the magnetic stripe of your payment card, including your name, card number, card expiration date, and CVV.”
The retailer advised the customers to monitor their bank and credit card statements for fraudulent activities.
The company did not disclose the number of affected customers.
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