Shoppers at a grocery retailer in the Midwest, ALDI Stores, have been hit by a series of point of sale terminal skimming thefts. The thefts have resulted in a number of reported losses as consumers had their debit card account information stolen. Several local newspapers in the Chicago area and Indiana posted reports of consumers who suffered losses after shopping at ALDI The Daily Herald (a suburban Chicago paper) reportedthat:

The removal of the machines comes after about 250 customers in Wheeling, St. Charles, Buffalo Grove, Elburn and Kane County reported having their bank accounts drained by thieves who obtained their credit and debit card information through those machines.

ALDI has more than 1,100 U.S. stores located in 31 states primarily from Kansas to the East Coast. In a press statement, the retailer explained the steps taken to address the issue:

ALDI was recently notified that the security of a limited number of debit card terminals at some stores may have been compromised through tampering designed to steal customer’s payment card information. ALDI has conducted a thorough review of all stores nationwide and removed terminals that may have been affected…. We recommend customers review their account and report any unauthorized activity immediately to their issuing bank and local law enforcement authorities. Customers with questions about their accounts should contact their bank or payment card company directly for more information. We regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued customers.

A copy of Aldi’s statement is available here.