Potential Home Depot Security Breach

September 8, 2014

The Home Depot credit and debit card breach has been all over the national news, and you may be concerned about whether or not your card has been affected. A press release put out by Home Depot on September 8, 2014 stated that cards used at  Home Depot stores in the U.S. or Canada between April 11, 2014 and September 7, 2014 may have been compromised. These were in store transactions only and do not  affect online purchases.

Bay Federal Credit Union is continuing to monitor the situation as the investigation continues. You may continue to use your Bay Federal Credit or Debit cards as usual and no further action is needed. If we identify that your card was part of this breach, we will contact you by mail regarding the replacement of your card.

The Home Depot is offering free identity protection services, including credit monitoring, to any customer who used a payment card at a Home Depot store in 2014, from April on. Customers who wish to take advantage of these services can learn more at www.homedepot.com or by calling 1-800-HOMEDEPOT (800-466-3337). 

As always, we recommend that you do the following in any compromised situation:

1. Routinely check and monitor account and credit card statements for evidence of unauthorized transactions.
2. Consumers should alert their bank, credit union, or credit card company immediately if they identify suspicious activity on their accounts

Additional Q&A:

Will Bay Federal monitor my account for fraud?

Bay Federal Credit Union has good systems and processes in place to monitor cards for unusual activity. If we suspect that fraud has occurred on your account, we will attempt to contact you to confirm the transaction activity.  If we confirm that fraud has occurred, we will block your card from further use and replace your Credit or Debit card. Although we carefully monitor accounts for potential fraud, nobody knows your spending habits like you do. It is still important to regularly review your account activity and report any suspicious charges to the Credit Union immediately.

What happens if my card was used for fraudulent activity? How do I report that? Am I liable for these fraudulent charges?

If your Bay Federal card was used for fraudulent activity, we have a dispute process. You can either call 831.479.6000 or visit any branch and we will begin the process for you. Consumers are not liable for fraudulent charges on their Debit or Credit card.

I just had my card replaced from another compromise. What can I do to prevent this from happening in the future?

Unfortunately, events like the Home Depot security breach are out of our control. As always, we suggest monitoring your accounts on a regular basis using BayFedOnline to look for any suspicious or unusual activity. 

For additional information about keeping your card information safe, see our Credit/ and Debit Card Fraud Prevention information sheet, and the Fraud Prevention information on our website.