My letter said that they'd discovered the problem on Jan. 7th. I talked to them and they said that when they were made aware of the problem they immediatly hired an outside investigator who discovered that they'd been hacked last October.
I was actually first notified by my own bank. I have a ceiling on my debit card and there is a limit that anyone could steal from me via my card. A fraud agency (just guessing that it was the company hired by Fabric Depot) notified my bank that my card had been compromised. Someone from San Clamenty (sp?), Calif. had tried to get $4-plus via my card. My bank had me call the agency to verify that it was not me.
I talked to a very pleasant man who told me that they usually put in a small amount to 'test' the card.
I don't blame Fabric Depot...this just happens in today's world. Your card could be stolen just using it at a real store and giving it to the clerk if you're not careful. I have software that shows that my own personal computer has over 1000 attempts per month of people trying to hack my computer. I keep no personal info on it.
My son-in-law's computer has software that shows how many attempts and where they are coming from...a lot of them are showing to come from Venezuela, China, etc. Seldom from the U.S.
I don't use credit cards at all...just debit with a small ceiling. If I need to make a large purchase, I call my bank and let them know before-hand.