Landry's releases list of restaurants affected by credit card data breach

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- New information has just been released to help Landry's customers determine if they may be impacted by a credit card data breach.

Following a December report of suspicious activity on cards used at some Landry's locations, an investigation was launched that determined criminal attackers were able to install a program on payment card processing devices at certain locations.

Landry's Incorporated owns more than 500 restaurants, including many local favorites, from Mortons and Vic & Anthonys, to the Kemah Boardwalk and the Rainforest Cafe. Customers can now visit landrysinc.com to determine the specific locations and dates involved in the breach.

If you used a payment card at an affected location during its at-risk window, it's recommend that you remain vigilant to the possibility of fraud by reviewing your payment card statements for any unauthorized activity. You should immediately report any unauthorized charges to your card issuer because payment card rules generally provide that cardholders are not responsible for unauthorized charges reported in a timely manner.

Landry's has enhanced their security measures and encryption methods. If you have any questions, you can call 877-238-2151 (U.S. and Canada), Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm EST.

You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:

Equifax, PO Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374, www.equifax.com, 1-800-525-6285

Experian, PO Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com,1-888-397-3742

TransUnion, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000, www.transunion.com, 1-800-916-8800

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General's office in your state. Contact information for the Federal Trade Commission is as follows:

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), www.ftc.gov/idtheft

You can obtain information from these sources about steps an individual can take to avoid identity theft as well as information about fraud alerts and security freezes. You should also contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police report. Obtain a copy of the police report in case you are asked to provide copies to creditors to correct your records.