October 16, 2009
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News: Hancock Fabrics Becomes Target of Fraud
Designing and creating personal gifts has dual function. It not only personalizes the gift, it saves money as well. The same benefits are awarded individuals who choose to create their own apparel, costumes, and home furnishings decor and accessories. However, some Hancock Fabrics' credit card customers got more than they bargained for when recent visits to the popular fabric and craft supply store left them victims of credit card fraud. Numerous customers in Napa and Sacramento counties, California and Portage and Wood Counties, Wisconsin have been calling their lenders to report incidents of unauthorized credit card transactions. The scam involved several stores and multiple banks. Police were able to make the connection between the complaints as all having made a recent purchase at their local Hancock Fabrics stores.
Authorities conducted a thorough investigation and inspected all the Hancock Fabric stores which lead to the discovery of several machines. There is speculation that the machines were old credit card readers that were used to illegally acquire the card numbers of an unlimited number of individuals. The exact number of victims has not yet been determined; however, Sacramento and Napa Police in California have reported over 55 and Wisconsin authorities have reported over 40 victims that have come forward. Hancock Fabrics assure that they have disabled all of the debit and credit card electronic payment devices and have installed new machines.
The majority of the debit and credit card activities appear to have occurred over the recent Columbus Day weekend which gave the thieves three days to steal thousands of dollars. Authorities and bank representatives continue to encourage Americans to be aware of their surroundings and other individuals when using their cards and personal identification numbers (PIN). All consumers should check their accounts on a daily basis. Although Hancock has taken every precaution to eliminate any further accounts from being compromised, all customers should check their accounts online daily and report any suspicious activity immediately to their lender or bank. The best defense is to err on the side of caution.