Security breach found for Jimmy John's

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Jimmy John’s customers are advised that their credit- and debit-card information may be at risk due to a security breach.

The Champaign, Ill.-based company said more than 216 stores appear to have been affected, including the location at 131 Lincoln Ave. on Youngstown State University’s campus and the store at 5450 Mahoning Ave. in Austintown.

It appears an intruder stole log-in credentials from Jimmy John’s point-of-sale vendor and used those credentials to remotely access the point-of-sale systems at some corporate and franchised locations between June 16 and Sept. 5.

Cards affected by this event appear to be those swiped at the stores and did not include those cards entered manually or online, according to a statement released by the gourmet sandwich chain.

The credit- and debit-card information at issue may include the card number and in some cases the cardholder’s name, verification code and the card’s expiration date.

Banks that could be reached Thursday said they are taking measures with the latest data breach.

“Huntington Bank previously knew about this compromise, and we have already re-issued cards for customers we believe had the greatest likelihood of being affected,” said William Eiler, a bank spokesman.

“We’re currently monitoring the situation,” said Marcey Zwiebel, a spokeswoman for PNC Bank.

Information entered online, such as customer address, email and password, remains secure, the company said.

The restaurant is offering protection for affected customers. For information, go to the website jimmyjohns.com.