BJ’s Wholesale Club is working with credit card companies and law enforcement to investigate a possible compromise of its computer system that may have resulted in credit card information theft. BJ’s was recently made aware of a small fraction of its 8 million members being affected by consumer credit card information theft and took immediate steps to address the situation including conducting an exhaustive review of its state-of-the-industry technology systems with a leading computer security firm. (more)
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NATICK, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 12, 2004–BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ) today announced that it is working with credit card companies and law enforcement to investigate a possible compromise of its computer system that may have resulted in credit card information theft. BJ’s was recently made aware of a small fraction of its 8 million members being affected by consumer credit card information theft and took immediate steps to address the situation including conducting an exhaustive review of its state-of-the-industry technology systems with a leading computer security firm. Following the review, BJ’s ruled out the likelihood of a centralized security compromise and implemented several measures at its club-level systems to eliminate possible avenues by which credit card information could be accessed.
“We are confident in the current safety and integrity of our systems,” commented Bob Hamilton, vice president of Loss Prevention at BJ’s. “This type of crime is the fastest growing crime in America and is a major concern for all retailers, including BJ’s. We take this issue very seriously and we are continually working to employ advanced technologies to ward against increasingly sophisticated credit card information theft schemes. We remain fully committed to protecting the privacy of our members and the security of their information and are working with credit card companies and law enforcement to identify and prosecute these criminals to the full extent of the law.”
“While it is not industry practice for retailers to bring information like this to its consumers, we feel our members should be aware of this issue,” Hamilton continued. “It is important that consumers understand, as we do, that Federal laws and credit card company policies generally limit the dollar amount of liability of consumers who experience credit card fraud.”
While BJ’s believes that only a small fraction of its members may be affected, the company is making additional Member Care representatives available to assist members whose credit card information may have been stolen. If BJ’s members suspect unauthorized use of their credit card information, they should immediately report it to the credit card issuer or bank. If they have additional questions, BJ’s members are encouraged to call 1-800-BJS-CLUB.
BJ’s introduced the wholesale club concept to New England in 1984 and has since expanded to become a leading warehouse chain in the eastern United States. The Company currently operates 150 clubs and 78 gas stations. BJ’s press releases and filings with the SEC are available on the Internet at www.bjs.com.
For more information, the FTC has a special website to help consumers understand their rights and responsibilities in dealing with credit or identity theft. The web address is www.consumer.gov/idtheft
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