Michaels Alerts Customers To Potential Debit and Credit Card Fraud

Several incidents of credit fraud have been recently reported to area police departments and many have been tied to purchases at area Michaels stores.

The Michaels store in Feasterville, at 751 Bustleton Pike, has been listed as one of over 20 stores where PIN pad tampering has occurred and where customer credit and debit card information may have been compromised.

According to a phillyburbs.com article, several Michael's customers from the area have noticed unauthorized charges on their accounts following purchases at the Texas-based arts and crafts chain.

Michaels reports that the transactions in question are said to have taken place between the beginning of February and May 6, the day the company began removing PIN pads from stores and replacing them with newer, more secure models.

In a statement released shortly after the tampering was discovered, Michaels encouraged consumers who have purchased items with a debit or credit card  to monitor their statements, report any suspicious account activity, and change any PIN numbers and other account security settings. 

Michaels said customers who believe their accounts were used without authorization should contact the card issuer directly.   

Additional consumer protection tips are available at the Federal Trade Commission's website.