Wawa Confirms Massive Data Breach – Here’s What To Do Now
Oh crap. If you've used your debit or credit card at ANY Wawa location over the last nine months, you probably want to check your statements, change your pin numbers, and maybe get in touch with your bank.
Wawa posted a letter on their website saying their information security team discovered malware on Wawa payment processing servers on December 10, 2019, and contained it by December 12, 2019. This malware affected customer payment card information used at potentially all Wawa locations beginning at different points in time after March 4, 2019 and until it was contained. At this time, they believe this malware no longer poses a risk to Wawa customers using payment cards at Wawa, and this malware never posed a risk to ATM cash machines.
Wawa also gives the following suggestions to find out if you were affected, and what do to next:
- Register for Identity Protection Services. Wawa has arranged with Experian to provide potentially impacted customers with one year of identity theft protection and credit monitoring at no charge. Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: https://www.experianidworks.com/credit or contact Experian’s customer care team at 1-844-386-9559 (Monday - Friday, between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm Eastern Time or Saturday between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm, excluding holidays)
- Provide your activation code: 4H2H3T9H6
- Review Your Payment Card Account Statements. Wawa encourages you to remain vigilant by reviewing your payment card account statements. If you believe there is an unauthorized charge on your payment card, please notify the relevant payment card company by calling the number on the back of the card. Under federal law and card company rules, customers who notify their payment card company in a timely manner upon discovering fraudulent charges will not be responsible for those charges.
- Order a Credit Report. If you enroll in the Experian service (at the phone number above) they are offering, you will have access to activity on your credit report. In addition, if you are a U.S. resident, you are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228.
- Review the Reference Guide. The Reference Guide below provides additional resources on the protection of personal information.
This SUCKS. I use my debit card like 99% of the time I go to Wawa, and I can't even make a guess as to how many times I or my wife went to Wawa over the last nine months. Grabbing a quick dinner when we didn't want to cook, getting drinks before we head out for the day, or just getting gas every week.
Check your statements, and good luck!
More from 105.7 the Hawk: