Michaels investigates possible data breach

Irving, Texas – Michaels Stores has learned of possible fraudulent activity on some U.S. payment cards that had been used at Michaels, suggesting that the company may have experienced a data security attack.



In a statement posted to its website on Jan. 25, Michaels said it is working closely with federal law enforcement and is conducting an investigation with the help of third-party data security experts to establish the facts.



“Although the investigation is ongoing, based on the information we have received and in light of the widely-reported criminal efforts to penetrate the data systems of U.S. retailers, we believe it is appropriate to notify our customers that a potential issue may have occurred,” Michaels CEO Chuck Rubin said in the statement. “Throughout our 40-year history, our customers have always been our number one priority and we deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause. The privacy and security of our customers’ information is of critical importance to us and we are focused on addressing this issue.”



The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation last week warned retailers to expect more attacks and said the agency has reviewed 20 incidents over the past year that were similar to the recent breaches.