Palm Springs Staples targeted by hackers, credit and debit card numbers breached

There’s a good chance hackers have your credit or debit card information if you shopped at a Palm Springs Staples store this summer.

Staples released a five page list of more than a hundred stores nationwide who were breached by hackers. More than a million credit and debit card numbers were stolen.

“I’m at a loss, I can’t go back to just cash or checks, so I think they have got to invent systems that are more fail safe,” says George Magdon a Staples customer.

“I assume it might have happened to me,” says Markaus Lipfert who shops at Staples and had his credit card number stolen. “Yesterday morning I got an email from American Express about suspicious transactions on my credit card and we called back and had it canceled. I’m getting a new one in a few days. We used to buy stuff here so that’s maybe how mine got stolen,” says Lipfert.

The hack happened between August 10, 2014 and September 16, 2014.

“I’m not surprised, that’s going on all over, that’s why I try to use cash as much as as I can anymore,” says Don Hill, Staples customer.

Staples is offering one year of free credit monitoring for customers who believe their credit and debit card numbers have been compromised.

“They should also contact one of the three credit bureaus and issue a fraud alert, it’s good for 90 days and which ever credit card bureau is notified they will notify the other two so you just need to notify one,” says Sgt. Harvey Reed with the Palm Springs Police Department.

Staples has set up free call center, with operators standing by to address customer questions and concerns about this incident. Customers can call (866) 274-4371.

A statement from Staples says they have taken steps to enhance the security of its point-of-sale systems, including the use of new encryption tools.