Zaxby's is warning customers of a potential security breach that may have resulted in unauthorized access to credit and debit card information.
Certain licensed locations have identified suspicious files on their system which "have been identified by credit card processing companies as common points of purchase for some fraudulent activity."
The Zaxby's located at 650 Maxham Rd. and 2609 Lee Rd., in Lithia Springs, as well as 200 Coley Drive, in Villa Rica, are among the affected locations.
According to a statement released by Zaxby's, the restaurant chain has notified the appropriate authorities and will continue to cooperate with the investigation.
"During the course of its forensic investigation, Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. identified some suspicious files, including malware, on the licensees' computer systems at certain Zaxby's locations," the release stated. "Because those files could have been used to export guest names and credit and debit card numbers, Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. informed appropriate law enforcement authorities of the potential criminal activity."
The investigation has yet to determine whether any data left the processing systems, but officials are concerned the presence of the suspicious files could indicate the data, which includes credit and debit card information, has been accessed.
As a result of the possible breach, Zaxby's Franchising Inc. is working to implement additional security measures at all of its locations. The company has posted a list of stores known to have been affected by the potential security breach.
"Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. takes the security of guest information very seriously and is working closely with the affected store locations to provide notice to potentially affected guests. Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. encourages all potentially affected guests to monitor their financial accounts for any unauthorized activity and to check their credit scores," the release stated.
According to the Zaxby's website, customers can order a free copy of their credit reports by visiting the website www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling (877) 322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Form at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0093-annual-report-request-form.pdf.
Company officials advise customers to promptly report any incident of fraud to local law enforcement, the appropriate state Attorney General's office, and the Federal Trade Commission.
For more information, contact Zaxby's at 1-877-739-8599 or visit www.zaxbys.com.
Shame on Zaxby's for allowing their 'secure' data systems to be compromised. Probably a low-paid nit-wit employee who did it. I hope Zaxby's gets sued. It is ZAXBY'S FAULT that this happened. NOT GOING TO ZAXBY'S EVER AGAIN!
The criminal that commited the crime is not to blame - the initial victim of the crime Zaxby's is. <FACEPALM> A ciber-crime can be committed from anywhere in the world, generally requires some level of intelligence and can happen to any business or government.