Michaels craft stores suspect data security breach

Irving, Texas-based Michaels art and craft stores announced Saturday (Jan. 25) that it too, had recently been targeted by a data security attack, joining a handful of other retailers such as Target and Neiman Marcus.

“We recently learned of possible fraudulent activity on some U.S. payment cards that had been used at Michaels, suggesting we may have experienced a data security attack. We are working closely with federal law enforcement and are conducting an investigation with the help of third-party data security experts to establish the facts. Although the investigation is ongoing, based on the information we have received and in light of the widely-reported criminal efforts to penetrate the data systems of U.S. retailers, we believe it is appropriate to notify our customers that a potential issue may have occurred,” CEO Chuck Rubin noted in a letter to customers on Saturday.

Michaels did not give any timeline for the suspected data breach but recommends customers remain vigilant by reviewing their account statements for unauthorized charges.

“If you believe your payment card may have been affected, you should immediately contact your bank or card issuer. If we find as part of our investigation that any of our customers were affected, we will offer identity protection and credit monitoring services to them at no cost,” Rubin said.