Target Says Now That 70 Million And As Many As 110 Million Shoppers Are At Risk For ID Theft

The news just doesn't get any better for Target. The giant retailer has released new details this morning regarding the recent security breach of credit and debit cards used in their stores.

It's worse than they thought.

The hits just keep coming for Target.

Christmas shoppers learned on December 19 that the giant retailer had suffered a huge breach of security in regards to credit and debit information taken from cards that were swiped through their red magnetic card readers for purchases made in Target stores during a time period beginning on Black Friday and ending on December 15. Target said at the time that 40 million shoppers were at risk and the Secret Service was brought in to investigate.

Target suffered another fail ten days later when over 40,000 shoppers with gift cards couldn't complete their purchases at the register because the cards had no value. That was explained as technical glitch regarding the gift card's barcode.

This morning, in a new statement from Target, we are learning that the November/December breach of security was worse than initially reported. It's now believed that closer to 70 million and as many as 110 million shoppers may have had valuable personal information hacked. Addresses, names, phone numbers and email addresses were compromised. You can read that new statement from Target...CLICK HERE.

The popular retailer has said again that any the shoppers who were a victim of the breach of security will not be liable for any fraudulent charges and they are offering a year's worth of credit monitoring and identity theft protection free of charge to any person who has shopped at a U.S. Target store in the past year.

Target continues to urge customers who used a credit or debit card at any of their U.S. stores between November 27 and December 15 to ask for a new card and account information.

"I know that this is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this." said Target's CEO Gregg Steinhafel.

For some very good information from the Federal Trade Commission on how NOT to be a victim of identity theft, CLICK HERE.