Machine Tampering Allows Data Theft at 2 Stop & Shop Stores

The Stop & Shop Supermarket chain announced Feb. 17 that thieves had tampered with check-out lane computers and had stolen account and personal identification numbers from customers credit and debit cards at two of its stores in Rhode Island.

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Officials at the company said in a statement they have been working closely with members of the U.S. Secret Service and local authorities in Coventry and Cranston, the sites of the thefts, since uncovering the tampering last week. As a result of the tampering, account and pin numbers associated with some credit and debit cards used in these two checkout lanes in early February were stolen, officials said.

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It was unclear Feb. 20 how many people were affected by the security breach, although Stop & Shop officials said they have contacted their credit and debit processors and business partners in order to identify and protect affected customer accounts.

In addition to those two incidents, similar tampering was discovered at other Stop & Shop stores in Bristol, Providence and Warwick, also in Rhode Island, as well as a store in Seekonk, Mass. No fraudulent activity relating to any debit or credit cards used at those four stores has been uncovered, and no employees are suspected as of yet of involvement in any of the incidents, company officials said.

Stop & Shop officials recommend for customers who used electronic payment cards in the companys Rhode Island stores or at the Seekonk store to carefully monitor their bank or credit card statements and contact the appropriate bank or credit card in the event that any fraudulent transactions are found.

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