Data from American Express cards leaked in a third-party security breach.
American Express Co. notified an unknown amount of cardholders that their account details may have been compromised in a recent hack of a merchant processor.
AmEx has reported to Massachusetts authorities that both current and past cardholders’ information, including account numbers, expiration dates, and customer names, may have been exposed. This notification was submitted last week.
“A service provider working with multiple merchants had their system breached without authorization,” said Anneke Covell, AmEx’s vice president of U.S. and AENB privacy, in the notice. “No American Express-owned or controlled systems were affected by this event.”
The company stated that a financial institution could report an incident at a retailer regarding the use of a consumer’s bank-issued card on the Massachusetts state website.
AmEx refused to share information about the number of individuals potentially affected and the extent of the breach in response to a request for additional comment.
A spokesperson stated in an email that the event in question took place at a merchant processor and was not an attack specifically targeting American Express or one of its service providers, despite some confusion in media reports. As customer information was affected, American Express notified relevant Massachusetts agencies and affected customers residing in the state.
According to the representative, we utilize advanced monitoring technology and internal security measures to identify any fraudulent or suspicious behavior. If such activity is detected, we will promptly take necessary precautions to protect against it.
If a customer detects any unusual occurrences on their account, they can contact 1-855-693-2213.
Kate Gibson
Source: cbsnews.com