IMPORTANT NOTICE TO DEBIT CARD HOLDERS

Due to the recent local merchant data breach we will be reissuing new cards to all debit card holders.

Things you should be aware of during this reissue:

·         Your existing card will continue to work until your new card arrives.

·         There will be two batches of cards sent out, if you have more than one card you may receive the cards at different times.

·         Be sure to notify any merchants with whom you have set up automatic payments of your new card number as soon as possible after receipt of your new card.

 ·       Please be sure to activate your new card as soon as possible.  You will be receiving a new PIN number in a separate mailer a few days after recieving your card.

 ·       Once you receive your card and activate the card you are able to select your own custom PIN at any of Town & Country FCU’s ATM machines.
 

Should you have any additional questions or concerns please contact us at (207) 773-5656 or (800) 649-3495.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CREDIT CARD HOLDERS

Due to the recent local merchant data breach we will be reissuing new credit cards to those accounts that have been determined to be at risk for fraud. Things you should be aware of during this reissue:

·         Your existing card will continue to work until your new card arrives.

·         Be sure to notify any merchants with whom you have set up automatic payments of your new card number as soon as possible after receipt of your new card.

·         Please be sure to activate your new card as soon as possible.

Should you have any additional questions or concerns please contact us at (207) 773-5656 or (800) 649-3495.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING HANNAFORD CARD DATA COMPROMISE  

Hannaford announced on March 17th that it had a data intrusion into its computer network that resulted in the theft of 4.2 million customer credit and debit card numbers.  Hannaford reports that the information stolen included card numbers and expiration dates. No personal identifying information such names, addresses, birth dates, or social security numbers were accessed or obtained.

Town & Country has been informed by VISA that approx. 8,000 Town & Country debit cards were affected.  At this time, no individual member accounts have been affected by fraudulent activity.

Please rest assured that Town & Country is taking all necessary precautions to ensure that our members’ accounts are safe and protected, and all accounts are fully insured by the National Credit Union Administration. 

Town & Country wants you to know the following:  

• All debit/credit cards are protected by VISA’s Zero Fraud Liability Program.
• There has been no fraudulent activity on these accounts at this point and time.  
• If any fraudulent activity does occur, all fraudulent charges will be refunded by Town & Country
• Town & Country is internally monitoring all accounts for potential fraudulent activity. The credit union has advanced plastic card monitoring technology systems in place that monitor all debit and credit card transactions for fraudulent activity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Any card holder impacted by the theft of data will be receiving a letter from Town & Country informing them that their card will be reissued.  Impacted cards will be reissued as soon as possible.
• You can continue to use your debit and credit cards as usual.     

Please take the following measures to protect your accounts:

• Carefully review your checking account information via Town & Country’s online banking service and TCPhone24.
  
• Monitor your credit card activity by logging onto VISA Online. VISA Online can be accessed by clicking on the VISA Online link located in the upper left corner of www.tcfcu.com.
  
• Be wary of anyone who contacts you via phone or email and attempts to obtain personal data or asks you to confirm personal details about your account. Town & Country will not contact members via phone or email to obtain or verify your personal information. If any fraudulent activity is suspected on your account, you may receive a phone call from VISA to verify if the suspected transaction is valid. They will not ask you for any personal information.

For more information, please see the following attached press releases from Hannaford and the Maine Credit Union League.

Hannaford Press Release      

SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Hannaford today announced containment of a data intrusion into its computer network that resulted in the theft of customer credit and debit card numbers. No personal information, such as names or addresses, was accessed or obtained.

This data was illegally accessed from Hannaford’s computer systems during the card authorization transmission process. Hannaford is cooperating with credit and debit card issuers to ensure that those customers who may be affected by the theft are protected.

The intrusion impacted Hannaford stores in New England and New York state and Sweetbay stores in Florida. Also affected are certain, independently-owned retail locations in the Northeast that carry Hannaford products.

“For more than 125 years, Hannaford has been dedicated to earning the trust of our customers, and we sincerely regret any concern or inconvenience this has caused,” said Ronald C. Hodge,Hannaford president and CEO. “We have taken aggressive steps to augment our network security capabilities. Hannaford doesn’t collect, know or keep any personally identifiable customer information from transactions.”

Hannaford was first made aware of unusual credit card activity on Feb. 27, and immediately initiated a comprehensive investigation with the assistance of leading information technology security experts to safeguard customer information and determine the cause. The company also alerted law enforcement authorities and is working closely with them in the ongoing criminal investigation.

The company is currently aware of fewer than 2,000 cases of reported fraud related to this crime.

Hannaford is advising customers to take the following steps:

• Customers should carefully review their financial institution and credit card statements, and immediately contact their credit card company or issuing bank with any questions or concerns about individual charges.

• Customers with questions may call Hannaford’s dedicated customer assistance line at 866-591-4580. 

Hannaford Bros. Co., based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 165 stores under the Hannaford Supermarket and Hannaford Supermarket and Pharmacy names. Hannaford employs about 27,000 associates. Sweetbay Supermarket, based in Tampa, operates 106 stores in Florida. Both companies are owned by Delhaize Group of Brussels, Belgium.

Maine Credit Union League Press Release 

“Major Retailer’s Data Breach Significant,” Say Maine Credit Unions

(Westbrook, ME) - The impact on Maine credit unions of the recent debit and credit card compromise at Hannaford Supermarket’s is significant.  According to early statistics from the Maine Credit Union League, Maine credit unions are expected to be reissuing in excess of 100,000 new credit and debit cards as a result of the compromise.

According to Rebekah Higgins, Card Services Manager at Synergent, the service subsidiary of the Maine Credit Union League which handles card services and processing for many Maine credit unions, "Because the compromise occurred at a major Maine retailer that so many Maine people use on a regular basis, the impact and cost of this compromise will be significantly higher than the TJX compromise last year.”  Higgins said a number of credit unions have already begun reissuing their entire card base.  She also urged consumers to monitor and review their statements from the past few months carefully and report any suspicious or fraudulent activity to their financial institution, adding, “Consumers have zero liability in this compromise.”  

John Murphy, President of the Maine Credit Union League and Synergent, explained, “In this case, as is often the case in data breaches and compromises, the financial institution has done everything right and it is the merchant who bears full responsibility of the compromise.  Unfortunately, though, typically credit unions and other financial institutions bear most, if not all, of the costs associated with the compromise, such as reissuing the cards, staff resources, and communications with members.  We are strong advocates that the time has come to shift the financial burden from the financial institution to the source of the breach because, in the case of credit unions, every member-owner is affected by the breach.”

Murphy said that the growing frequency of breaches and compromises led the Maine Credit Union League to help draft legislation that was introduced this session that directs the Bureau of Financial Institutions to study the effect of data security breaches, including the damages suffered as a result of these breaches, on Maine credit unions and banks.  The Resolve has passed both the House and Senate and is nearly ready to be sent to the Governor for his signature.  The Resolve directs the Bureau to report its findings to the Legislature no later than December 1, 2008.  “Hopefully, this is the first step in helping to further understand the significance of this issue and to begin to look for ways that will force the cause of compromises and breaches to be held accountable and responsible for the cost, a solution that we believe would lead to better security measures being put in place to prevent breaches and better protect consumers,” Murphy concluded.

About the Maine Credit Union League
Formed in 1938, the Maine Credit Union League is the State Trade Association for Maine’s 68-member credit unions providing a variety of services and products to assist credit unions in meeting the needs of their membership.  Visit www.mainecul.org for more information.
 

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