Target store customers have filed complaints against the company and accuse Target of failing to protect their private information. Target, the second-largest U.S. discount chain, faces almost two dozen lawsuits filed by customers after a computer security breach exposed data on 40 million debit and credit cards. Shoppers whose accounts have been compromised have filed complaints and are seeking class action status for their lawsuits in federal court. The lawsuits started almost immediately after Target’s admission that hackers had stolen information related to the credit-card accounts of 40 million shoppers.
One of the plaintiffs, Alfonso E. Alonso III of San Francisco, stated in the complaint that was reported by Bloomberg News, that the information obtained during the breach “is a treasure trove for identity theft criminals who could use it to gain access to credit card and other private and valuable information about customers.” A spokeswoman for Target, Molly Snyder, has said that the company “typically doesn’t comment on pending litigation.”
Those trying to argue that Target has been negligent will also be watching whether the company is found to be in violation of cyber security standards known as PCI security standards. Target said it is “actively partnering” with the U.S. Department of Justice as well as the Secret Service on a continuing forensic and criminal probe. Neither sector is investigating Target, according to the statement.
Image Credit: www.businessweek.com