News

TJX settlement leaves security questions unanswered

October 1, 2007

Digital Transactions: TJX Cos. Inc. last week announced that it had settled the consumer class-action lawsuits it faced in the wake of a security breach that compromised nearly 46 million payment-card records stored in its computers. But big-picture issues about the best ways to enhance card security and who should be responsible for it are far from settled. The tentative settlement, which includes Fifth Third Bancorp, TJX's U.S. merchant acquirer, includes free credit-report monitoring and identity-theft insurance for some customers, $30 vouchers for others, and a three-day "customer-appreciation" event featuring 15-percent price cuts. Those provisions drew fire from two analysts, who said TJX was getting off easy.