The Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market said Thursday that payment card information had been stolen from taprooms, restaurants and other venues within some of its stores.
Whole Foods, which was recently purchased by e-commerce giant Amazon for US$13.7 billion, said that the point-of-sale system it uses for over 440 locations across the United States was not involved in the data hack.
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The food provider also said that Amazon.com systems do not connect to those affected at Whole Foods, and that Amazon transactions were not involved in the breach.
Whole Foods said in a statement that it’s currently investigating the hack and has enlisted the help of a leading cybersecurity forensics firm, in addition to contacting law enforcement and is addressing the issue.
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“The company’s investigation is ongoing and it will provide additional updates as it learns more. While most Whole Foods Market stores do not have these taprooms and restaurants, Whole Foods Market encourages its customers to closely monitor their payment card statements and report any unauthorized charges to the issuing bank,” read the statement.
More than 40 Whole Foods stores sell beer on tap, though the company did not confirm how many restaurants are located inside its stores.
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This hack is the latest in a string of data breaches over the past few weeks, including one reported by the fast-food chain Sonic and the credit information security breach at credit bureau Equifax that affected millions of customers. In addition, CNET reports that Wendy’s and Chipotle have been hit with similar point-of-sale attacks in the past.
Whole Foods has yet to confirm how many people were affected by the hack, nor has the organic food provider disclosed which stores were involved.
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