News

Home Depot breach reportedly generating card fraud

Banks aren't confirming it and Home Depot insists that no PIN data was taken, but sources say bank accounts have been compromised.

September 25, 2014

By now, it's a well-reported fact that thieves snagged data from about 56 million payment cards in the Home Depot data breach.

This week, an article by the Wall Street Journal said the stolen data is showing up on counterfeit cards, which have been used to plunder consumers' bank accounts.

Yesterday, Bloomberg cited the WSJ story whose unidentified sources said the stolen information has been used to buy prepaid cards, electronics and groceries. Banks declined to comment for the report.

Home Depot has consistently said that no PIN numbers were compromised in the breach. However, in his blog, security expert Bryan Krebs described how criminals are easily getting around this presumed deterrent to debit card fraud.