Geeks.com is a very popular shopping site for computer buffs to pick up parts. They have begun to send out emails to users because it was revealed that their database was hacked on December 5th, 2007. Not only do the hackers have in their possession the names and addresses of the people, but also credit card numbers with their expiration date and card verification number. Everything a hacker needs to have a day of “fun” on your behalf.
At the very bottom of the site there is also the “Hacker Safe, Tested Daily” logo that is supposed to reassure customers that things like this won’t happen. Guess we can see how much confidence you should place in services like that.
Here is a bulk of the email that they are sending out:
The purpose of this letter is to notify you that Genica dba Geeks.com (”Genica”) recently discovered on December 5, 2007 that customer information, including Visa credit card information, may have been compromised. In particular, it is possible that an unauthorized person may be in possession of your name, address, telephone number, email address, credit card number, expiration date, and card verification number. We are still investigating the details of this incident, but it appears that an unauthorized individual may have accessed this information by hacking our eCommerce website.
We take this breach of our data seriously, and we deeply regret that this incident has occurred. We immediately reported this crime to local law enforcement authorities, as well as the Secret Service and other federal authorities. We also reported the incident to Visa. We have engaged an outside, nationally recognized security firm to determine how this incident occurred and to confirm that information we obtain is protected to the fullest extent reasonably possible.
To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to review your Visa credit card account statements and to monitor your credit reports as provided below. To assist you, Genica has taken the following steps:
We have set up a toll-free, call-in number to assist you with questions or concerns you may have related to this incident. All questions should be directed to 1-888-529-6261 or 1-212-560-5108 for non-US recipients.
PLEASE NOTE: These numbers will be active beginning on Tuesday, January 9, 2008.
Hop on over to Consumerist if you want to read the rest of the email.
Guess we should all just start paying with cash and bartering goods.
January 9, 2008, is a Wednesday, by the way.
This is really a pain, as life sometimes is, though not always. I do hope of course limited financial consequences and I guess this will be an extra lesson for never saying never. Moreover, who knows, expressed self-confidence may have teased the hacker(s). Be qualified, but don’t say it too loudly.
Well that just sucks, and at the bottom of the site they have the hacker safe logo…hmmm…something fishy!
All of us and our Governments should take necessary steps to prevent hacking. Otherwise hacking will become a common thing.
Wow that 800 number is worthless, they just Read you the letter that’s already available online and have no further information, they can’t even tell you what date range of customers are affected. Geeks.com can’t even close your account and of course I never received an eMail from them, go figure… sure would be nice if they send the eMail to all their users and post it on their website, instead of hiding it and trying to cover it up… Mental note to never EVER order from them again.
I didn’t receive an email from them either, which made me rather upset. The only thing that I can think of is that they were able to pinpoint which customers were affected, and only those were emailed. I just need to not be so lazy now and start using the virtual credit card generator that my credit card company provides, so that the numbers expire after a month.