McDonald's, Walgreens Warn Customers of Data Theft
Filed under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally, In the News
A similar warning was also issued by Walgreen's.
McDonald's stressed that its records don't include financial information or Social Security Numbers. But it would include customers' ages, phone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.
The world's largest fast food chain said it hired Arc Worldwide to do its promotional email campaign. That company, in turn, hired another firm to coordinate and distribute emails. It was that unnamed company whose records were accessed, McDonald's said.
"Law enforcement officials have been notified and are investigating this incident," McDonald's said in an email to its customers.
McDonald's apologized for the incident and is warning customers not to respond to requests for financial information pretending to be from McDonald's.
"We apologize for any concern this incident may cause," McDonald's wrote. "Protecting our valued customers is very important to us."
Customers with questions are asked to call McDonald's at 800-244-6227.
(Update: 2:45p.m., Dec. 11): Customers of Walgreens drug stores are reporting getting a similar message about their accounts. However, Walgreens said what was taken was more limited.
"We want to assure you that the only information that was obtained was your email address. Your prescription information, account and any other personally identifiable information were not at risk because such data is not contained in the email system, and no access was gained to Walgreens consumer data systems...
"We encourage you to continue to be aware of increasingly common email scams that may use your email address to contact you and ask for personal or sensitive information. Always be cautious when opening links or attachments from unsolicited third parties. Also know that Walgreens will not send you emails asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. So if ever asked for this information, you can be confident it is not from Walgreens."
Walgreens Customers with questions are asked to call 888-980-0963.
If you have received similar contact in the past week other than Walgreen's or McDonald's, please let us know at ConsumerAlly@WalletPop.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
12-11-2010 @ 10:48AM
Frank said...
GD McDonalds if I get my info phished I am going to sue them!
Reply
12-11-2010 @ 10:54AM
Vince said...
I think LAWSUIT is a GREAT idea too! I don't even usually share my home address or real date of birth, but for this STUPID game I did because I knew it would have to be valid info to win! IDIOTIC MCDONALDS. I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I get broken into, spammed or harmed in ANY way, I'm sicking my Pre-Paid Legal lawyers all over your moronic butts!
12-11-2010 @ 2:15PM
mickey said...
I love the way McDonald's says they care about their customers. PRETZEL LOGIC!!! If they cared about their customers, they wouldn't have jeopardized all of their personal records. Someone needs to sue them. They think they are too big to be held accountable.
12-11-2010 @ 2:18PM
Mark said...
What a bunch of idiots. I bet they don't even know whose data they went and lost.
12-11-2010 @ 2:24PM
Rico said...
That would not be how your "info" would be phished. Anyway, you probably will be able to keep you trailer.
12-11-2010 @ 3:11PM
Paula said...
You do realize that in order to become a phishing victim, you have to be an idiot, right?
12-11-2010 @ 3:40PM
cleanfreak79 said...
You give out your private information to a publically traded company to put into their files....no one to blame but yourself. Hope you like porn and buying wholesale from china!
12-12-2010 @ 7:43AM
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12-12-2010 @ 11:01AM
mike said...
First it's tainted glasses, now this. You sure McDonalds isn't associated with the Taliban?
12-12-2010 @ 7:46PM
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12-11-2010 @ 11:48AM
Janice Taylor-Gaines said...
I can understand Wikileaks/State Dept. breach - but McDonalds?? LOL - people better start reading the book "I.T. WARS" and get up-to-speed on data protection. Read the author's blog (Google to) "The Business-Technology Weave" - we use the book at work. We ain't gonna have any breaches!!
Reply
12-11-2010 @ 12:36PM
Jeff said...
Frank and Vince-
You two obviously represent the morons of the world. We can only wonder why anyone with bad intentions would find your info worth seeking out in the first place.
Reply
12-11-2010 @ 1:45PM
Buddy said...
I bet frank and vince are two guys that go to a college football game and give away all their personal info for a free T- shirt! LOL MORONS!
12-11-2010 @ 1:22PM
steve said...
Good job McD's! Not only to you give me dog s**t in a box about 75% of the time and most of the time it isn't even the dog s**t that I ordered, you give away our personal information also. I really hope McD's hits the brink of collapse. Of course Obama would bail them out because they employ so many of his beloved crackheads. I used to love McD's but most (not all, some still employ worthwhile people and give good service) are trash. They have went back to the pre-cook method of the 90's with a small tweek. Instead of making the burger and letting it sit. They cook everything and let it sit and then slap it together when you order it. Still a hockey puck by the time you get it. It is also sad that they can't get a simple order right either. How hard is it to understand "#3 with a large coke?" Somehow the crackhead seems to hear #2 with a dr pepper" McD's is the only restaurant that I have problems with. That is why I will choose to spend my money with others. I think the last straw was when they gave me the wrong thing again making me start to run out of fingers while counting the number of times for the month. When I went and told them they all looked at each other confused as if they didn't know what to do. I loudly told laughed and told them to f**k off and they could keep the money, because it was the last they would ever get from me.
Reply
12-11-2010 @ 1:48PM
Buddy! said...
Hi steve... I bet tey laughed even harder at you when you finally left looking like an idiot!
12-11-2010 @ 2:39PM
Tom said...
You have to have a brain,not just fingers for nasal nuggets. If you can remember the times you had bad service,why can't you remember the food isn't worth eating. No matter what it is!!!
12-12-2010 @ 4:26PM
Ca1701 said...
Hey Steve, you must like eating dog s**t, because you keep coming back to get it. Only an idiot would go back 8, 9 or 10 times a month. If the food and service is so bad, why do you keep going back? Are you really that stupid.
12-11-2010 @ 1:24PM
John said...
ONLY DATA THEFT? Go on Facebook and post that they took your cash, without giving you anything in return, and see just HOW MANY: "YEAH that happened to me too!" you get! Yes this happens, I had my kids waiting for my wife, a McDonalds was close, so, we ordered a kids meal, a 2 sandwichs and drinks with them, paid for it, and waited...and waited got the sm drink from the kids meal, now 20 minutes has gone by. I call over the manager, tell him. He says to me; "What's YOUR Problem?" I handed back the one drink, might as well have ALL of it! Had my kids use the restrooms, and we waited for "mom" outside! never been in one since...
Reply
12-11-2010 @ 2:51PM
nana7 said...
I understand how you feel. Cashiers who don't repeat back special orders, or just don't repeat orders back to the customer. Grill crew who are too busy chatting to pay attention to what they are doing. Then there are customers who tell cashier after order is paid for that they want their sandwich made special. The customer who orders and pays for med and then demand large.. The best are the customers stand around like vegetables while their orders are called out or the ones who take orders that aren't their's.. The drive thru customers who demand lg. drinks instead of the small they ordered and paid for. The ones who pay for their order, get to the pick-up window and say they forgot to order more food, so they hold up drive thru. The drive off customers who screw up the rest of the orders, The one's who use credit cards that are declined.. McD's needs to be more selective of who they hire.. A lot of good employees leave because the idiots in the click get the hrs.. Just remember that some of us are as upset as you are when you have to wait forever for your food or with whoever screwed up your order. Imagine working all day with a cashier who is screwing up orders because they don't feel like working, or have a cashier just walk out because they don't feel like working where they were placed that day. McD's needs to pay their employees more, treat them as professionals, and stop giving bonuses to GM's for cutting corners..