All PNC cardholders should read this - Target Breach

[TiggerDat]

PNC has reissued new cards for accounts.  I think they simply did a blanket reissue.  Unlike the strategy of some banks and cancelling your account outright and reissuing new cards, you will/should have use of the card until you activate the new one.  They sent out a mailing Thursday or Friday about it.  (I think they should have sent out emails too, but whatever.)  I don't know if the new cards will have chips or not, they did not tell me.  I noticed that I had a new account when I signed into online banking and tried to call about it to know what was going on, bad move as the long wait times were horrible.  I never got through before I got an answer from chat.  It was quick!  (I was rather freaking out, very very mildly, about the concept of maybe not having access to the card during the process, so I was extremely happy they thought about the customer first in all of this.)

So don't freak out, just be aware.

You should still be able to use the card until you activate the new one.  However, there still might be a cut off time for that. 

You have to give it to PNC, they are letting us use our cards normally while this happens.  So please support their actions and activate the card ASAP. 

[barbaralee]

So when you say blanket issue does this mean even those of us who were not a part of the Target breach? And is this credit, debit, or both? My PNC credit card ia only used for my online purchases, and the debit is only used at the ATM. Kind of late in the game, it seems. 

[TiggerDat]

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@barbaralee wrote:

So when you say blanket issue does this mean even those of us who were not a part of the Target breach? And is this credit, debit, or both? My PNC credit card ia only used for my online purchases, and the debit is only used at the ATM. Kind of late in the game, it seems. 

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She just said credit cards and all, but it might have been a blanket statement.  I know my card was used at Target.  I don't know if if it was ever copied or not, since mine is a Signature card the thieves probably would have been better off copying mine, ha ha.  I would have noticed that quickly since I do check my account often. 

I guess the easiest way to find out if your was changed it should be listed under your current account in online banking.  I did not see new check cards issued.  Can you imagine the hassle in that?  If they replaced all their cards then there would be a lot of new cards going out!  Imagine the cost of that!  I imagine soon that banks themselves will be pushing for chips after this!  Imagine if another such occurance happens after this.  There will be no way that chips won't be mandatory.  Certainly having chips will reduce fraud to almost zero for a while, which means that the thieves won't have income.  (Maybe then they will simply go out and get jobs!)

While it might seem late in the game it might simply be that now thieves are actually using the cards.  They might have waited for whatever reason, such as selling the card numbers, duplicating cards, etc. which caused the delay.  Now it might be that more and more illegal charges are coming in.  The authorities may have played a role in this in an attempt to catch them.  If they had acted more quickly then it could have been more of a hassle to catch those responsible, if they are ever actually caught. 

PNC might have also simply taken the card numbers which were not affect and left them alone.  This might be why my check cards are not being replaced.  I have 4 check cards, so imagine what I will have to go through when and if they are replaced.  I do know none of my check cards were involved in the breach.  The check cards don't get used for any purchases, just ATM deposits, nothing more.  Well maybe twice a year I might take out money, but usually not!