Credit Card Breach Has Affected over 1,000 Wendy’s Restaurants

A credit card security breach may have affected more than 1,000 Wendy’s locations, new reports suggest.

The fast food chain announced in February that it was investigating the malware-driven breach that was being used to steal credit card information, according to Engadget.

Originally, Wendy’s said that the malware was installed at fewer than 300 locations. But the company announced last month that the breach may have affected over 1,000 restaurants across the country.

Wendy’s said that the breach is the result of a malware that was installed by hackers on cash registers at the affected Wendy’s locations. It allowed hackers access to names, credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, and other information, according to Time Magazine.

The fast food chain is blaming a third-party service provider that had remote access to the point-of-service systems, KrebOnSecurity reported

Interestingly enough, Reuters reported that only franchised locations were affected. None of the 582 restaurants owned by the company itself seemed to have the malware.

If you visited a Wendy’s restaurant early this year, it might be a good idea to keep a close eye on your credit card or bank statements. Most banks will catch and notify you of unusual charges — and you’re not typically liable for them — but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

To see if your credit or debit card data could be at risk, a list of the locations that were affected by the breach is available on Wendy’s website.