credit cards were hit by a data-security breach after third-party
services provider Global Payments Inc discovered its systems were
compromised by unauthorized access.
Global Payments said it determined that an unauthorized entity had
accessed its systems and possible customer card data in early March.
Global Payments helps card companies processes electronic transactions
for merchants.
U.S. law enforcement authorities including the Secret Service are
investigating and MasterCard said it has hired an independent
data-security organization to review the incident.
MasterCard announced earlier Friday that it was investigating whether
cardholder account data was improperly accessed. The payments company
said it has alerted law enforcement authorities and notified card
issuers about the potential breach of cardholders' account
information.
Visa said in a statement Friday that it was "aware of a potential data
compromise incident at a third-party entity affecting card account
information from all major card brands." The company emphasized that
there had been no breach of any Visa system, "including its core
processing network VisaNet."
Citigroup Inc said it has been notified by processors of the breach,
while Wells Fargo & Co said it was too early to comment on the
impact. No comment issued by Bank of America Corp.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, as well as American Express and Discover, which
issue their own cards, said they are monitoring customers' accounts
and would issue new cards to anyone whose information may have been
compromised.
Banks and processors emphasized customers would not be held liable for
any fraudulent charges that may occur. Any financial losses from the
data breach would be shouldered by merchants, card issuers and Global
Payments rather than Visa or Mastercard, which operate payment
networks.
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