Corporate data breaches are becoming all too common. Last year, several high-profile companies including Chipotle, Equifax and Uber fell victim to computer incursions. In 2018, popular retailers are being targeted by hackers -- stores where you've shopped, paid with credit cards and handed over personal information to register for loyalty programs.
The list of big-name retailers that have reported data breaches in 2018 continues to grow. That means millions of shoppers' names, addresses, emails, credit cards, passwords, or other personal and financial information potentially have already been compromised. Here's a closer look at several recent retailer data breaches including details on where you can go for help to protect your identity and credit.
Retailer Data Breaches in 2018
| Company | Month Reported | Data Breach Details | For More Info. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbitz | March | A reported 880,000 users' personal information -- including full names, credit card numbers, phone numbers, and e-mail and street addresses -- was compromised. | The company is offering affected customers free credit monitoring and identity protection. Call 1-855-828-3959 or go to orbitz.allclearid.com. |
| Under Armour | March | An unauthorized third party gained access to personal information from 150 million users' of the company's MyFitnessPal app. Compromised data included e-mail addresses and hashed passwords, but not Social Security or driver’s license numbers. | Go to MyFitnessPal Account Security Issue: FAQs |
| Best Buy | April | The electronics retailer stated that [24]7.ai, a third party chat service provider it uses to communicate with online customers, suffered an intrusion that compromised customer payment information. | Best Buy will contact affected customers directly. Email questions to 247incident@bestbuy.com. |
| Delta Air | April | The airline was also affected by the [24]7.ai breach. Certain online customer payment information may have been compromised. However, the company says hackers didn't gain access to passport, government ID or SkyMiles information. | Delta is providing free credit monitoring services to affected customers. Go to delta.allclearid.com to enroll. |
| Kmart | April | Kmart.com fell victim to the [24]7.ai data breach, as well. The store's parent company Sears Holding is advising affected customers to monitor their credit card statements and request a free copy of their credit report. They aren't currently providing free credit monitoring services. | Go to searsholdings.com/update |
| Lord & Taylor | April | Malware running on certain point-of-sale systems at possibly all Lord & Taylor locations in North America exposed customer payment information including credit and debit card numbers. A reported 5 million customers from sister companies Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th were affected. | Lord & Taylor is offering free credit monitoring to affected customers. Call 1-855-270-9187 Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. |
| Marriot International | November | The hospitality company discovered in September that an unauthorized third-party had been accessing its Starwood network since 2014. The hacker had access to the Starwood guest reservation database, which contains names, mailing addresses, as well as phone and passport numbers. A reported 500 million guests who've stayed at a Starwood property may have been affected. | Marriott has set-up a dedicated call center where concerned customers can get further information at 877-273-9481. |
| Panera Bread | April | Panerabread.com exposed customer records including full names, e-mail and street addresses, birthdays, the last four digits of customer credit card numbers, as well as loyalty card numbers, according to Krebsonsecurity.com. | The company says it has resolved the security issue. |
| Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th | April | Malware running on certain point-of-sale systems at possibly all Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th locations in North America exposed customer payment information including credit and debit card numbers. A reported 5 million customers from sister companies Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th and Lord & Taylor were affected. | Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th are offering free credit monitoring to affected customers. Call 1-855-270-9187 Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. |
| Sears | April | Sears.com was also hit by the [24]7.ai data breach. The store's parent company Sears Holding is advising affected customers to monitor their credit card statements and request a free copy of their credit report. They aren't currently providing free credit monitoring services. | Go to searsholdings.com/update. |
If you suspect your personal information has been compromised through one of these retailer data breaches, don't rely solely on the store to do the right thing to help ensure you are protected, suggests Liz Weston, a certified financial planner and columnist for NerdWallet.com. She advises consumers to be proactive by doing the following:
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
1. If a breach involves your Social Security number, immediately freeze your credit reports at all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).
2. If your credit or debit card numbers were exposed, monitor those cards. Be wary of any e-mails or texts you receive asking for personal information or warning you of "problems with your account." Also, don't click on links that are sent to you from a source you don't know. Instead, type in the URL by hand into a browser to help avoid phishing attempts.
3. If passwords are exposed, change them on the affected websites and on any other sites where you may have used the same password (something you shouldn't be doing anyway). Even if passwords weren't compromised, it's a good practice to change them regularly.
-
Stocks Keep Climbing as Fed Meeting Nears: Stock Market TodayA stale inflation report and improving consumer sentiment did little to shift expectations for a rate cut next week.
-
Your End of Year Insurance Coverage Review ChecklistStop paying for insurance you don't need and close coverage gaps you didn't know about with this year-end insurance review.
-
Crypto Trends to Watch in 2026Cryptocurrency is still less than 20 years old, but it remains a fast-moving (and also maturing) market. Here are the crypto trends to watch for in 2026.
-
Nasdaq Rises 2.7% as Musk Tweets TSLA Higher: Stock Market TodayMarkets follow through on Friday's reversal rally with even bigger moves on Monday.
-
Seven Things You Should Do Now if You Think Your Identity Was StolenIf you suspect your identity was stolen, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself, but make sure you take action fast.
-
The 8 Financial Documents You Should Always ShredIdentity Theft The financial documents piling up at home put you at risk of fraud. Learn the eight types of financial documents you should always shred to protect yourself.
-
How to Guard Against the New Generation of Fraud and Identity TheftIdentity Theft Fraud and identity theft are getting more sophisticated and harder to spot. Stay ahead of the scammers with our advice.
-
12 Ways to Protect Yourself From Fraud and ScamsIdentity Theft Think you can spot the telltale signs of frauds and scams? Follow these 12 tips to stay safe from evolving threats and prevent others from falling victim.
-
Watch Out for These Travel Scams This SummerIdentity Theft These travel scams are easy to fall for and could wreck your summer. Take a moment to read up on the warning signs and simple ways to protect yourself.
-
How to Guard Against Identity Theft in 2025Scammers are getting better at impersonating legitimate businesses.
-
Stock Market Today: The S&P 500 Reclaims the 6K LevelInvestors see Scott Bessent as a safe shepherd of the economy as the president-elect burnishes his "Tariff Man" reputation.
