Man claims he fell victim to Target data breach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Things are much worse Friday for Target and your personal security.

The retail giant confirmed debit card PIN data was stolen when the company was hacked.

The news comes less than 24 hours after the company said PIN information was not compromised but a spokesperson said customers should not worry.

A local man told Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke he is likely a victim of the Target breach.

Target said anyone who shopped with it between Black Friday and Dec. 15 could be impacted, and Bert Lampley thinks he was affected.

Lampley is like a lot of shoppers who hit Target Thanksgiving weekend.

"I paid for it with our debit card and we didn't think anything of it and out the door we went like we always do," he said.

A few weeks later, he noticed two strange withdrawals made in Chicago from his bank account.

Both are ATMs outside Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Lampley said he was never in Chicago.

"(It) just taught me a lesson," he said. "My debit card will not pay for a retail purchase ever again."

Target now says debit card PINs were among the financial information stolen from millions of customers.

In addition, customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the embedded code on the magnetic strip on back of the cards were stolen.

The company said when customers type the PIN into the keypad at the store it is encrypted, so it reduces the risk of identity theft.

Target said it doesn't have access to PINs and doesn't keep the encryption key in its system.

Lampley told his bank, Fifth Third Bank and it gave him his money back, along with new debit cards with new account numbers.

Target said law enforcement officials have launched a forensic and criminal investigation into the breach.

WSOC