Data breach at P.F. Chang’s includes three in Philly region

Three P.F. Chang’s restaurants in the greater Philadelphia region were among 33 nationally that were victims of a credit and debit card data security breach, according the restaurant’s website.

The security breach lasted almost eight months, from Oct. 19, 2013, through June 11, 2014, at the P.F. Chang’s located at 10 Providence Town Center in Collegeville, Pa.

The restaurant’s location in Glen Mills, Pa., was compromised from April 10 through June 11, 2014; and a chain in Princeton, N.J., from Feb. 21 through June 11, 2014.

A statement released by P.F. Chang’s CEO Rick Federico says that the restaurant has been processing credit and debit card data securely since June 11, one day after the security breach was discovered.

The potentially stolen credit and debit card data includes the card number, and in some cases the name and expiration date, according to Federico’s statement.

The restaurant is providing complimentary identity protection services — through links on their security website (hotlink) — to anyone who thinks their data might be at risk, as well as a list of frequently asked questions.

Mike Bannon, the Bucks County Consumer Protection Director, said his department as gotten some calls from people who have eaten at local P.F. Chang’s wondering if their data is safe, but not necessarily from anyone who has been a victim yet.

“It’s certainly is a very scary thing to hear that it’s been eight months in progress,” said Bannon. “As history has it and when these kinds of stories unfold, we tend to find out that it’s more widespread or been going on for longer than anyone thought.”