I've lost track of how many of these letters I have received

[Horse with no Name]

Add one more to the pile:

Dear xxxxxx,

Kroger wants you to know that the data base with our customers' names and email addresses has been breached by someone outside of the company. This data base contains the names and email addresses of customers who voluntarily provided their names and email addresses to Kroger. We want to assure you that the only information that was obtained was your name and email address. As a result, it is possible you may receive some spam email messages. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Kroger wants to remind you not to open emails from senders you do not know. Also, Kroger would never ask you to email personal information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers. If you receive such a request, it did not come from Kroger and should be deleted.

If you have concerns, you are welcome to call Kroger’s customer service center at 1-800-Krogers (1-800-576-4377).

Sincerely,

The Kroger Family of Stores

[uppityperson]

1. One of the reasons I sign up as Ima Shopper

phone number (area code) 555-1212
I find the savings really add up, can get quite a gas discount. Periodically they shut that phone number down, but it always comes back. I have no idea how many of us use this number but it seems to be a fair few.

[Tunkamerica]

4. I used to live on 123 fake street. anytown, nc.

[freshwest]

5. That's a good idea.

I'd prefer giving them the old area code and phone number, 1-234-567-8910, I call it the Sesame Street number. I hope there isn't actually a number like that.

I've gotten phone calls from, no joke, 1-000-000-0000 on my cellphone. I assign rings to people I know, the default is silent. But I still got screwed by some 'pro-life' group when I answered the voicemail and thought it was someone else. Bastards.

[uppityperson]

7. That is a good phone number also. I used to think I was just paranoid, until I read of the firefight

firefighter in Seattle suburb who was arrested wrongly for arson based solely on the fact that someone using his Safeway card number had bought some lighter fluid around that time the house was torched. Of course, it was during the summer when people barbeque stuff. Yes, they got the info from Safeway, everything that had been bought using that card number.

I hate safeway, more and more.

He was released since he hadn't done it and there was no evidence beyond that.

[freshwest]

8. I refused to shop anywhere penalizing anyone without a 'club card.'

And if you have one, they sing out your name at the check out line. Some excuse it saying they are trying to give a personal touch. Ick!

One of their employees learned my name. With no encouragement from me, she decided she was going to be my buddy. Whenever she saw me in that small town, she'd call my name, like I was her long lost friend. So I quit shopping there. Went to another one, and they were still singing out my name, for no reason. I quit.

There is considerable danger of identity theft and I think using a fake name is a good idea, but I'd never thought about doing it.

Like your story of the firefighter, there was a case of a man who was accused of downloading child pornography because a stranger outside his house was using his wireless router to go online. The stranger got the porn and he got charged for the crime as it was off his IP and it took him a long time to clear his name.

All this data floating around with a profit motive, one way or the other, doesn't answer the questions that need to be asked, such as who benefits from it. I don't.

[uppityperson]

10. I warn them "please don't tell me how much I saved". No, I didn't save anything, I spent money

I have used a friend's phone number and get odd looks since, small town here, they know I'm not her.

[RKP5637]

2. Amazing. No excuse for that. Some of these outfits don't even dispose of disk

drives properly and people take the data off them if not properly erased, and then the hackers. So much security is sloppy where you would expect better. I often wonder if ordering something online where my CC number might end up someday.

[msongs]

3. the email database was hacked and they want you to believe the credit card database is safe. ok nt

[freshwest]

6. Oooh, business is much more efficient! Let's turn all our data over to them! They'll do a good job!

:sarcasm:

[sad sally]

9. Got one three years ago from H&R Block after using their free

tax preparer software - they said they were sorry - guess that's all that matters.

[freshwest]

12. They let your social security number, etc., wave in the wind? Bad news!

[sad sally]

17. Yes - it was awful. Took almost a year to get reassurances

from them that they had identified and corrected the "problems." We still worry to this day as to who has our SSN's.

[freshwest]

18. Identity thieves got a credit app I sent in the mail and charged $30K in another state.

The app wasn't returned so I forgot about it, didn't need it really. And I didn't find out until a couple of years later when I wanted to make a purchase on credit and all these signature loans came up that I hadn't made. I proved I didn't make the loans, but it'll never really be cleaned up and of course that original information is still out there somewhere. Every so often, it pops up. Good luck.

[XanaDUer]

11. They now make you show an official ID before signing up

at least one large chain store where I live did.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. Petsmart Pet Perks cards work at Krogers. One less card for the wallet

[RebelOne]

15. Since when?

I have a Petsmart card and when I could not locate my Kroger card in my wallet, i was never informed that i could use that card in place of my Kroger card.

[Shagbark Hickory]

16. I don't think they want you using it. But it does work. I try not to shop at that hell hole, but I

go to their gas stations frequently and it always works. Here we get a 3 cent a gallon discount for scanning it. I know it isn't that way everywhere though.

[walldude]

14. Um you do realize that you can get a Kroeger Card

without filling out any info right? You just ask for the form and the card and tell them you'll mail in the info.