# Target Fiasco **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450 "2014-01-10T17:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/1 "2014-01-10T17:40:59Z")
The latest numbers released by Target would seem to indicate that 23% of all Americans made at least one purchase at one of their stores during that three week period. This doesn’t take into account people who paid cash. To me, that is an astounding statistic. I wonder what Walmart’s numbers are. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/2 "2014-01-10T18:03:16Z")
That seems suspicious to me. How do they count people who paid cash? How do they distinguish between two people with copies of a credit card both buying versus one person buying? ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/3 "2014-01-10T18:06:45Z")
The New York Times is reporting up to 110 million, BUT it is not limited to people who physically shopped at the stores during the holiday. It appears that a lot more people are vulnerable: “[This additional trove of data involves all kinds of customer information that Target had collected over time. Those customers need not have even shopped at Target during the holiday period to have had their information stolen](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/11/business/target-breach-affected-70-million-customers.html?hpw&rref=business&_r=0).” ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/4 "2014-01-10T20:43:06Z")
Oh. When the story first broke they said it was only people who “swiped” in the stores. 110 million?! That’s a shit pile of data. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/5 "2014-01-10T20:55:20Z")
Anyone else hear the rumor (not confirmed yet) that Target Inc wasn’t compliant with data protection legislation? Looking for confirmation one way or the other… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/6 "2014-01-10T21:04:36Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Anyone else hear the rumor (not confirmed yet) that Target Inc wasn’t compliant with data protection legislation? Looking for confirmation one way or the other… Maybe that’s why they were targeted by the hackers. It’s like the IT dept was walking around with a bullseye on their backs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/7 "2014-01-10T22:38:54Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > …It’s like the IT dept was walking around with a bullseye on their backs. > 😃 [Like this?](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lph0u1p8bi1qfvq9bo1_500.jpg) I have only one credit card that I use. I have set up text alerts so that anytime something is charged where the card is not present (like if I buy something online) I get a message instantly. I also set an alert for any charge over $50 even if the card is present. I’ve had my number stolen a couple of times in the past and only found out when I tried to buy something and the charge was declined because the card company (Chase) had locked the card due to suspicious activity. This alert system keeps me on top of all credit card activity up to the minute. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/8 "2014-01-10T22:45:06Z")
I guess they’re going to provide free credit monitoring for “all guests”. According to their FAQ, details on how to sign up are due next week. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/9 "2014-05-05T21:26:18Z")
One result of this fiasco is that the CEO has been removed (although another explanation is major problems in Target’s expansion into Canada). > **[Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel steps down in wake of huge data breach](https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mo-target-ceo-steinhafel-resigns20140505-story.html)** > > Target Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel is leaving the retailer after a massive data breach during the critical holiday season jeopardized the personal information of up to 110 million customers and caused the company's sales to plunge. So, Dopers, do you feel he got what he deserved? Or do feel sorry for the poor guy (who will only get $55 million in severance/pension benefits/deferred compensation, etc)? > **[Ousted Target CEO could collect $55M-plus](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/05/ousted-target-ceo-to-collect-millions/8719471/)** > > Steinhafel isn't checking out without a potentially big bag of cash, stock and pension benefits. [Note this article has video] ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/10 "2014-05-06T14:10:57Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > One result of this fiasco is that the CEO has been removed (although another explanation is major problems in Target’s expansion into Canada). > [Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel steps down in wake of huge data breach](http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-target-ceo-resigns-20140505,0,4479532.story) > > So, Dopers, do you feel he got what he deserved? Or do feel sorry for the poor guy (who will only get $55 million in severance/pension benefits/deferred compensation, etc)? > [Ousted Target CEO could collect $55M-plus](http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/05/ousted-target-ceo-to-collect-millions/8719471/) > [Note this article has video] Yeah when I first heard yesterday that Target’s CEO was out of a job, my first thought was “Poor guy. I wonder how big his severance bonus was.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/11 "2014-05-06T14:15:20Z")
The CIO went earlier. Lots of changes. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/target-fiasco/678450/12 "2014-05-06T16:00:13Z")
Their website has been a crock of shit for a long time. I wonder if that had anything to do with it.