Rosauers, other grocers resume card usage

Updated Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013

SPOKANE, Wash. — URM Stores has finished implementing enhanced security measures designed to block the cyber-attack against its payment processing system, and customers have begun the resumption of using their payment cards — debit, credit, EBT, gift cards — at all member stores, including the Rosauers food store in Libby.

"Working with a leading payment-card industry security firm, we have taken steps to block the attack," said URM CEO Ray Sprinkle. "We are incredibly grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding. We are humbled by their support and continue to extend our sincere apologies for the frustration and inconvenience caused by this incident."

Sprinkle also commended the employees of URM and its member stores.

"We are extremely proud of their dedication and hard work throughout this process," Sprinkle said.

Although this attack has been blocked from continuing, any card used before the attack was blocked (except separate stand-beside transactions) could have been accessed and may still be used to make fraudulent purchases, the company said in a prepared statement. Thus, customers who used their card in a store before the attack was blocked, should continue to monitor their accounts for unauthorized charges and immediately report any such charges to the financial institution that issued their card.

The Libby Rosauers was among 21 Rosauers stores and 12 Yoke’s groceries within the Spokane area affected by the breach.

Rosauers in Libby offered customers a 10 percent discount on purchases as compensation for the inconvenience during the card shutdown.

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 Original story: 

Grocery stores urge use of cash, checks

SPOKANE, Wash.  — Owners of several grocery store chains are telling customers to consider paying by cash or check while investigators try to secure a computer network that was hacked during the past two months and may have impacted customers in parts of Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington.

The stores include all 12 Yoke’s Fresh Markets and 21 Rosauers stores in the Spokane area, the Spokesman-Review reported.

In Libby, the local Rosauers informed customers it was only accepting credit or debit cards on just one secure line on Tuesday and Wednesday. Customers also were receiving 10 percent discounts on purchases.

Eric Williams, a spokesman assisting Rosauers markets with inquiries, confirmed the problems the grocer was having with the cards.

Yoke’s and Rosauers are two of several grocers whose credit and debit card financial transactions have been vulnerable to a data breach reported in recent weeks by customers of area banks and credit unions, the newspaper reported Monday.

Customers entering the stores on Monday were told they can choose to use a secure but slow dial-up connection to make card payments.