Target: Data breach caught up to 70M customers

NEW YORK (AP) — Target says that personal information — including phone numbers and email and mailing addresses — was stolen from as many as 70 million customers in its pre-Christmas data breach. That was substantially more customers than Target had previously said were affected.

The chain also indicated its sales have been hurt by the breach, cutting its forecast for fourth-quarter earnings and a key sales barometer.

Its stock slipped in early morning trading today.

Target Corp. announced in December that about 40 million credit and debit cards may have been affected by a data breach that happened between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 — just as the holiday shopping season was getting into gear.

But the net has now been cast wider, with more shoppers potentially impacted.

The company told customers today that its ongoing investigation of the breach has shown that more personal information had been stolen than it was aware of before and more customers were affected.

"I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this," Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement.