Unhappy Holidays: Target Credit Card Breach Is Grim Theft Reminder

When the news hit about the credit and debit card accounts breach at the Target department stores, it was another sobering reminder that not everybody has peace and goodwill on their minds during the Holiday Season.  Target announced that customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between November 27 and December 15 may have had their accounts exposed.  The stolen data included customer names, credit card and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and three-digit security codes.

Ouch. That really hurts!

Though Christmas Day has come and gone, people will be going back to the malls to return gifts over the next few weeks so this is still a good time to remind everybody to be careful and protect yourself from criminals. If you’re at the mall and leave packages in your car, there are some common sense steps you can take.

Clearly, items left out in the open will be very easy to take with the “smash and grab” technique of breaking car windows and making off with valuables. Purchases should be left in a locked trunk, keeping in mind that this is not a 100 percent guarantee that the items will be safe.  It takes mere seconds to smash a window, flip a seat down and access the items kept in the trunk. To the best of your ability, conceal items left in the front or back seats so they aren’t just out in the open. 

Another step to take is to avoid parking your car in a remote spot where it’s actually easier for a thief to break in without being noticed.  Park within a higher traffic area, closer to a store entrance, to make it more difficult for the thief to smash glass or pop a trunk open without being seen.

The most important items we all need to protect are our credit cards, driver’s licenses, check books and other items that contain our personal identification. Never, ever leave these items out of your sight. Don’t leave them in the glove compartment, for example.  Take them into the store with you.

Finally, if you should experience that sinking feeling when discovering that someone has broken into your car, don’t touch anything in the vehicle.  Notify the authorities, including the police and mall security, as quickly as possible.  At a minimum, you want to file a police report even if nothing was stolen because this will give your insurance company the facts they need to handle your case.

Be smart and be safe. Don’t let thieves have the last laugh.

About Attorney Mark Powers
Attorney Mark Powers is a partner at the criminal defense law firm of Huppertz & Powers, S.C. in Waukesha. Previously, Powers served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Waukesha County District Attorney's office as well as a municipal judge in North Prairie. He currently focuses in the area of criminal defense, and has handled many cases involving operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, domestic disputes, and drug offenses.

Powers attended Valparaiso University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate. Prior to law school, Mark attended the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse where he received his bachelor of science in Political Science.

For more information, please visit www.waukeshacriminalattorneys.com.