Secret Service looks into fraud credit, debit card purchases

SPOKANE — Secret Service in Eastern Washington is investigating a rash of fraudulent credit and debit card purchases being made across the country.

The increase in fraud cases are believed to stem from a group of retail grocery stores linked to URM Stores Inc., with locations across the Northwest, including Grant and Adams counties, according to Kevin Miller with the Secret Service’s office in Spokane.

Miller said he could not go into details, but confirmed the investigation is ongoing to find where the incidents of fraud are coming from.

URM Stores was recently advised by law enforcement officials and a financial institution they may have been the target of a criminal cyber attack against their payment processing system, according to CEO Ray Sprinkle.

Sprinkle confirmed Monday there have been signs found of an attack that is similar to those being reported at other grocery stores.

“We believe that the attack is targeting data found in the magnetic stripe on the back of credit and debit cards,” Sprinkle wrote in a release Monday. “This information is typically used to make counterfeit cards.”

URM is working to implement enhanced security measures to block any further unauthorized access to the system and urges customers to pay with cash or check at this time.

Stores connected to URM in Grant and Adams counties include Family Foods in Coulee City, Akins Harvest Foods in Quincy, Lep-re-kon Harvest Foods in Moses Lake, Othello and Mattawa, and Ritzville and Royal City Harvest Foods.

Quincy police received at least 20 reports of credit or debit card fraud in the past week, according to Sgt. Paul Snyder, a drastic increase from the normal amount of reports. Snyder said the department is forwarding fraud reports to the Secret Service.

Both the Moses Lake Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office have not seen a noticeable increase in fraud reports in the past few weeks.

URM created a dedicated call center for customers who have questions about the fraudulent purchases or want to know what steps to take to protect themselves. 

“We encourage individuals to review and monitor bank and credit card statements for evidence of unauthorized transactions and report any suspected fraud or possible identity theft incidents to their bank or credit card company,” Sprinkle stated.

The call center can be reached at 877-237-7408, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Information can also be found online at www.urmstores.com/.