Hackers Break Into STAR and ATM Network:

Forcht Bank disabled 8,500 customer debit cards this week after learning they could have potentially been hacked into by persons creating duplicate cards.

Eddie Woodruff, chief operations officer for the bank, confirmed that 8,500 of the bank’s roughly 22,000 total debit cards had been deactivated, but the move was primarily a precaution.

“Right now, none of our customers have reported any fraudulent activity on the cards,” Woodruff said. “We’re just trying to take every precaution.”

The cards were comprised when a retail merchant’s computer system was hacked, Woodruff said. The breach affected customers of multiple banks whose cards are processed by the STAR Debit and ATM Network.

“Our debit card processor, which is a company called STAR, they had a retail customer, we’re not exactly sure who the retail customer was, and the information we believe may have been compromised,” he said.

Woodruff said other banks were affected by the problem, but First Data Corporation, which operates the STAR Debit and ATM Network, would not comment on how many were affected.

For the full report see The Times Tribune.