CHARLESTON/SPARTANBURG, S.C. — According to The Post and Courier, Wash Wizard, a carwash chain based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, reported that its customers’ credit card information might have been stolen this winter in what is now appearing to be a nationwide security breach.
The carwash, which has five locations in South Carolina, the article stated, stated that customers who came between Feb. 9th and 27th were at risk of having their credit card information, which included names, card numbers and security codes, stolen.
“Our point-of-sale system is operated by a third-party platform provider and this provider experienced the intrusion,” Wash Wizard noted on its website.
Cyber4Sight, a security analysis firm, stated that it has identified 14 other carwashes across the nation, including in California and Massachusetts, that have suffered similar security breaches, the article noted.
A Spartanburg, South Carolina, carwash also reported a security breach, the article added; both carwashes provided customers with a hotline number, 855-223-7528, for more information and help.
According to an article on www.wspa.com, the affected Spartanburg carwash, Whatta Wash Car Wash, reported that the breach happened between Feb. 20th and March 2nd, noting that it was informed of the breach on March 27th.
One of the owners of Whatta Wash, Marty Dew, stated that the breach affected up to 200 carwashes that use that POS system where the malware was installed, the article stated.
“We’re a small business, so we didn’t have any way of knowing this was happening, and in a way, we’re sort of victimized too without even knowing it,” Dew explained. “Integrity, honesty, respect are the business values that we have, so when we found out about it, we wanted to make sure that our customers knew about it.”
Dew stated that he hoped not many of the wash’s customers are affected, the article noted.
“Even though our providers are using the latest technology to try to protect our systems, the thieves are finding ways to get around these things and are constantly they’re improving their technology as well,” Dew said.
