If You've Eaten at Wendy's, Start Worrying About Your Bank Account
UPDATE: February 24, 2016 at 2:11 p.m.
After discovering a huge data breach last month, Wendy's announced that it found malicious software on computers that operate its payment system. Because of this, a new class action lawsuit has been filed against the fast-food chain, claiming that Wendy's was negligent in exposing customers' credit and debit cards to hackers.
According to Courthouse News, the lead plaintiff in the case states that he was charged $600 in fraudulent purchases after using his card at a Wendy's location in Orlando, FL. The complaint also argues that Wendy's failed to use adequate safety measures to prevent this and that it also didn't notify customers quickly enough. He's seeking damages, and for the court system to make sure improved security measures are put into place.
Meanwhile, Wendy's has only acknowledged "unusual credit card activity" regarding its customers, but has not disclosed how many customers could have been affected. "Since this is a legal matter, we have no comment on the lawsuit," spokesman Bob Bertini told The Consumerist.
ORIGINAL POST: January 27, 2016 at 6:19 p.m.
If you've been redeeming your Wendy's dollar Frostys like crazy this month (as you should!), you might want to check your bank account. The purveyors of pulled pork fries are currently investigating a possible breach in the company's security system after customers reported fraudulent charges to their credit and debit cards.
According to cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs-who was the first to discover Target's megawatt data breach back in 2013-Wendy's is looking into "unusual activity" on said cards in some locations. "Fraudulent charges may have occurred elsewhere after the cards were legitimately used at some of our restaurants," Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini told Krebs. Bertini also said that the burger chain has since hired a security firm to investigate.
It's too early to tell just how big this breach could be. Details are still being determined regarding how many restaurants (the company operates about 6,500 franchise and company-operated restaurants in the United States and 28 countries and U.S. territories worldwide) may have been affected and how long customers' information might have been compromised-though Krebs did note that his financial sources reported red flags in the Midwest and East Coast.
If you've eaten at Wendy's in the last month and used a credit or debit card, then watch your account closely. Don't wait for your monthly statement to arrive or assume your bank will flag anything fishy for you.
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