Convenience store giant Wawa just detected and contained a national data breach that could possibly affect customers using credit or debit cards within the last 10 months.

If Wawa is your gas station or coffee stop of choice, take note. Their CEO, Chris Geysens, just announced a security issue that could potentially affect any clients who had paid for purchases with credit cards or debit cards.

In an open letter on the Wawa website, he explained that malware was found on December 10, 2019, and it seemed to be accessing payment information for Wawa customers. This was happening both in-store and at the gas pumps, at Wawa locations all over the country.

Geysens goes on to say that the malware was contained on December 12 and that an investigation is ongoing. He made a point to emphasize that store ATMs were not infected by the malware.

Wawa, coffee

The Data Breach at a Glance

  • Who was affected: Potentially, all Wawa customers paying with credit or debit cards
  • What caused it: Computer malware 
  • When: March 4, 2019 to December 12, 2019
  • Where: Wawa locations nationwide, at gas pumps and in-store cash registers

What to Do Now

If you think your payment information may have been compromised, here are three things that you can do: monitor, check, and review. Monitor your credit and debit card statements for any unusual activity or withdrawals. Notify your bank if you find anything suspicious. Check your credit report for anything out of the ordinary in the past year. Review the resources provided by Wawa at the bottom of this website. It will give you concise, step-by-step recommendations and state-specific information about fraudulent charge resolution.

For more information about the data breach and subsequent action plans, call Wawa at (844) 386-9559. This dedicated call center will answer your questions about this security issue and help you through the processes for identity theft prevention.

**The photos in this article are courtesy of Wawa on Facebook.

Do you think you may have been affected by this Wawa data breach? What measures have you taken to protect your payment information? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know.