Crafters, Beware: Michaels Hit by Credit Card Data Hack

A security breach at arts and crafts retailer Michaels has affected as many 2.6 million credit cards, the store announced Thursday.

According to Reuters:

[Michaels] confirmed that there was a security breach at certain systems that process payment cards at its U.S. stores and that of its unit, Aaron Brothers. The company said in January that it was working with federal law enforcement officials to investigate a possible data breach.

Michaels Stores said the breach, which took place between May 8, 2013 and January 27, 2014, may have affected about 2.6 million cards, or about 7 percent of payment cards used at its stores during the period.

The company said about 400,000 cards were potentially impacted at its Aaron Brothers unit by the breach, which occurred between June 26, 2013 and February 27, 2014. There was no evidence that data such as customers’ name or personal identification number were at risk, Michaels Stores said in a statement. This is the second known data breach since 2011 at Michaels Stores.

I shop at Michaels all the time—I have decoupaged most of my worldly possessions to within an inch of their lives, and it’s all thanks to the good people at Michaels. So of course, my first reaction this news was “AHHHHH NOOOOOOOO.” So far, Michaels said reports of fraud have been “limited,” which is promising.

It’s just the latest in a long line of big businesses getting hacked recently. (There is currently a movie in the works about the Target breach because of course there is.) According to Reuters, retailers plan to form a group to share and collect information to stop future attack.

So we’re all agreed—it’s back to keeping our money in socks buried in a secret location in the woods and bartering for goods and services like its the 1800s, yes?