Wow, and people worry about usually only worry about this in connection to online shopping only. Thanks for the heads up.

'Skimming' of credit cards can happen anywhere that they are used.

It's not all that silly to have the smallest 'limit' on them that is practical for you...

Indeed. Happened to me once at a gas station, which is another common place for this to happen.

Usually 'skimming' involves one location. This is hugely larger.

I'm so glad I don't have any of those. Too many headaches! Not to mention expensive. Lol

Ya it looks to me like somebody's data bank got raided.  Again.

Fortunately I shopped the week before.

The skimming may have been happening up to December 15... that seems a very long time for this to go on undetected.

No...not a data bank.

Because their computer files weren't hacked...it was as if someone intercepted all the 'swipes' on their way to the computer.

From what I've read on CNN, Target hasn't specified exactly how the breach occurred.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/18/news/companies/target-credit-card/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

I'm not surprised that the breach itself happened, there are always those trying to do these things out there. What does surprise me that it could have happened for nearly three weeks:

- from targets standpoint: it shows a flaw in their system;

- from the thieves standpoint: it just increases the probability of getting caught.

I must Thank you DrJHBL for bringing this to my attention. I do hope that the investigation leads to some better precautions on these systems, not to mention the capture of the thieves themselves.

They pretty much just sat there with a bucket and waited on the data transmissions didn't they.

Guess I don't feel so 'ancient' now.  i pay with cash for everything, except for the very few on line purchases I make (like at StarDock).  Why?  The convenience of having so many purchases run through a massive electronic data system (credit/debit cards) etc also entails a very significant and increased risk that things may go awry.  Both stealing your money, and tracking you activities to improve 'their' profile of you are things I seek to minimize.  I admit I am not skilled enough to go head to head with all the scammers, cons, and corporate entities that strive to separate me from my money.  So I limit their reach.  I dread the day when cash is eliminated and all monies are digital (stored on cards/accounts somewhere 'out there' in the web/cloud/NSA servers). 

Class action lawsuits have started...................That's no surprise and its reported that Target sales are showing a 4% drop.

If only the lawyers would pursue the hackers with the same fervor that they leap upon the open wound.

It kind of is, actually. Found that out the hard way last year. I intentionally had a secondary credit card with a relatively low limit for use with institutions I was less trusting of, under the assumption that the card could not be used beyond that limit.

That assumption proved false, the card remaining usable and the only significance of the lower limit turned out to be that I get charged for going over the limit that much sooner. So in my experience, choosing to have a lower limit serves no purpose whatsoever.

Update: Target hackers stole encrypted bank PINs - source:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/12/24/uk-target-databreach-exclusive-idUKBRE9BN0L420131224