FYI...

- http://preview.tinyurl.com/2yhpup
March 21, 2007 ~ "Law enforcement officials in Florida have arrested six individuals suspected of carrying out a fraud scheme built around the misuse of credit card data stolen from retailer TJX Companies. In partnership with the Gainesville Police Department, officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they have taken six of 10 suspects into custody for allegedly using the TJX customer data to purchase large quantities of gift cards from discount chains Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. The series of arrests marks the first specific instance of crime to be connected to the TJX data heist, although some banks have previously reported that accounts held by consumers affected by the incident had been used in attempted fraud around the globe. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials confirmed that they initially reported the crime ring to Framingham, Mass.-based TJX in Nov. 2006. The retail chain began informing its customers about the data breach -- blamed on a computer systems intrusion -- in mid.-Jan. 2007. TJX media representatives didn't immediately return call seeking comment on the arrests.
The suspects were reported by Florida law enforcement officials to have been traveling throughout the state buying large quantities of Wal-Mart gift cards with the stolen credit card accounts, and then redeeming the cards at other locations. Among the items purchased by the scammers were computers, gaming devices, and big-screen TVs. Losses experienced by Wal-Mart and the banks issuing the credit cards total more than $8 million, and are still being calculated, according to Florida officials. The suspects arrested were charged with organized scheme to defraud, a first-degree felony, and had their bonds set at $1 million each. Arrested and booked in Metro-Dade County for the crime spree were Irving Escobar, age 18; Reinier Camaraza Alvarez, 27; Julio Oscar Alberti, 33; Dianelly Hernandez, 19; Nair Zuleima Alvarez, 40; and Zenia Mercedes Llorente, 23. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that it has also issued warrants for four other people believed to be involved in the scheme..."

Ongoing:

> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070329/ap_on_bi_ge/tjx_security_breach_3
March 29, 2007 ~ "More than two months after first disclosing that hackers accessed customers' financial data from its computers, discount retailer TJX Cos. has revealed that information from at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards was stolen over an 18-month period. In a regulatory filing that gives the first detailed account of the breach initially disclosed in January, the owner of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and other stores in North America and the United Kingdom also said another 455,000 customers who returned merchandise without receipts had their personal data stolen, including driver's license numbers. The data that was stolen covers transactions dating as far back as December 2002, TJX said in the filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission..."

FYI...

- http://preview.tinyurl.com/27wjmk
August 06, 2007 (Computerworld) - "The massive data breach at The TJX Companies Inc. disclosed earlier this year — and a string of smaller breaches at other companies — appears to be goading merchants to accelerate adoption of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard. Visa U.S.A. Inc. last week reported that about 96% of the world’s largest businesses that accept credit and debit cards have stopped storing magnetic stripe information in their systems, meeting a key PCI requirement. Purging magnetic stripe information, which includes cardholders’ personal data, marks an important step toward full compliance with PCI..."


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