back to article If you ate at one of these PF Chang's restaurants, your bank card is at risk

US eatery chain P.F. Chang's has named 33 of its restaurants that were compromised by bank card fraudsters this year. The company said payment systems at its Chinese bistros in states from California to Florida were infiltrated, allowing crooks to siphon off victims' credit and debit card details. According to the restaurant …

  1. CrosscutSaw

    Carbon copies

    So... do we need to go back to doing the physical carbon copy swipe? And calling the bank to verify funds? Paper checks?? Gasp.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Carbon copies

      The same way the german Nachrichtendienst now uses typewrites to evade the NSA?

      .... "Yes."

      I would post a reaction image of Bob the Angry Flower looking very desultory, but I can't.

  2. ysth

    "If you ate at 33 of these"

    I would have thought almost no one would have eaten at all 33.

    1. Woodnag

      Re: "If you ate at 33 of these"

      Yup, that's what it takes. Eat at all 33 restaurants, and your bank card is at risk. Even if you paid cash!

      Have to confess, I've seen better written ledes.

  3. DNTP

    Now I feel financially securer thanks to my habit of not eating at indifferently overpriced mall chain fooderies. Thanks Register, I'm improving my life with no effort on my part.

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      I cannot agree. Chang's is not "indifferently overpriced". It's overpriced deliberately and with malice. Quite possibly glee.

  4. asdf
    Mushroom

    flame on

    Peoria and Scottsdale in the Phoenix metro area eh? Good deal in that it didn't hit any suburbs normal people live in.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: flame on

      well it did only affect the white trash population LOL Not any of us Amigo's!

      1. asdf

        Re: flame on

        Scottsdale home of the 30k millionaire (ie pretend rich).

  5. SkippyBing

    Cock

    Well that explains how my card got used to spend $400 in Target last month. It doesn't answer the question why would you rip off a credit card and shop in Target mind you.

    Still as I'm from the UK my bank were speaking to me as it happened so the card was cancelled straight away.

  6. ideapete
    Holmes

    Colorado 2

    Happened to my mother in law ( no jokes please ) in Denver . Do you think PFC offered to help , No way

    1. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

      Re: Colorado 2

      you may wish to investigate further. See link. Scroll to the bottom, item 10. They are essentially doing the same thing Target did in offering 12 months credit monitoring. It's not enough, but it's definitely more than nothing.

      PF Chang's Security page

  7. StimuliC

    Do people really go to PF.Chang's?

    I thought they went out of business years ago. Turns out they didn't they changed their cuisine to faux Asian (Yep, not limited to a single countries cuisine they spread the load with their massive 8 or 9 dishes).

    The real Asian restaurants can rest safely knowing that they won't lose business to a 3rd rate Franchise chain and can offer a decent cuisine. LOL

  8. Rainer
    Thumb Up

    Cash?

    Doesn't anyone pay cash anymore?

    Glad I'm living in a country that still honors cash (no practical limit on cash payments here, be it cars, food, even houses) ;-)

    Though, I witnessed a man being turned down for trying to pay a coffee with the equivalent of 650 GBP in one banknote. He was advised to have it changed downstairs ;-)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Re: Cash?

      I do still use cash, if you don't have it, you can't spend it.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Some are better than others

    I tried to use my cards (credit and debit) in the USA, the credit card failed (free currency transaction abroad) so I was about to try my debit card, my phone rings....it was my banks fraud protection department, less than a minute after the card failure.

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