Are you sleepy? You may not be able to sleep for a while if you used your payment card at any of 41 Hyatt Hotels throughout the world. The company announced a data breach that occurred at some point that affects customers who used cards at various locations between March 18, 2017 and July 2, 2017. Properties in 11 countries were included, many of them in China. Others were in the U.S., Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and a few others.
Anyone who used a card swiped at the front desk of the affected locations may be at increased risk of fraud. Check payment card statements carefully for at least the next year. Report anything that looks even slightly suspicious to your card issuing institution. They can help you determine if it is a legitimate charge.
Information stolen included card numbers, expiration dates, and internal verification numbers.
This is the second breach of Hyatt Hotels properties within two years. A previous one occurred in late 2015 when hackers accessed payment systems at 250 properties in 50 countries using malware. Malware often makes its way onto systems via phishing. This is a method hackers use to lure users into clicking links or opening attachments and setting loose the malware. Once it’s on a device or network, it can access other information and cause significant damage. Always pay attention to email messages and if you receive links or attachments from unknown senders, or if links or attachments are not expected from someone you do know, be suspicious. Pick up the phone and call the sender to find out if they were legitimately sent before clicking. These days, there is no such thing as a safe attachment or link.
Hyatt has put up a page on the company’s website that lists all the locations affected in this recent breach.
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