Incident: GM MasterCard holders exposed to possible ID theft

A large number of credit card holders are being notified that their information may have been compromised after a large number of the cards were used at an undisclosed retailer:

GM MasterCard holders exposed to possible ID theft:

"About 180,000 General Motors rewards credit cardholders will be notified that someone might have stolen their personal information in a data breach that could affect an even bigger number of MasterCard and Visa customers.

Cards by HSBC, the bank that issues the GM MasterCard to about 6 million customers, were used at a U.S.-based retailer that neither MasterCard nor Visa would identify Wednesday.

HSBC has been sending out letters this week to the 3 percent of those cardholders whose plastic was used at the anonymous retailer between June 2002 and December 2004. The letters notify them of the problem and offer new replacement cards to any customers who want them...."

See also Boston.com / Business / Technology / Breach in security reaches 2d credit firm.