The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.
People who have dined out at Applebee's restaurants owned by RMH Franchise Holdings may want to keep an eye on their credit and debit card statements due to a data breach at some locations in over a dozen states. This incident does not affect all Applebee's restaurants, just those owned by RMH.
When RMH found out about the possible incident on February 13th, they started an investigation, bringing in cybersecurity forensics firms to help contain and address the issue. Law enforcement officials were also called and are investigating the breach as well.
The investigation found that unauthorized software was added to their point-of-sale systems at some Applebee's restaurants. The software was designed to steal data from payment cards, which includes credit/debit card numbers, names, card verification codes and expiration dates. The breach took place during a variety of time periods based on the restaurant's location.
Individuals who paid online or used Applebee's self-pay tabletop devices do not have to worry about their cards being compromised because the unauthorized software did not affect those systems.
Impacted Locations
The restaurants impacted by the data breach are located in 14 states, including Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
People who want to check to see if their favorite Applebee's has been affected by the breach can get that information via the website.
What Customers Can Do
RMH suggests that customers who used their cards at compromised restaurants keep an eye out for any irregularities on their payment card statements. If they see any charges that they did not authorize, they should contact their bank ASAP in order to start an investigation.
They also suggest they take a look at their credit report to see if there are any changes in order to thwart identify theft. If an issue arises, they suggest calling law enforcement officials right away, which includes local police. They also suggest contacting your state's attorney general, as well as the Federal Trade Commission.
On the website, RMH provides additional information about how to deal with identity theft in a variety of states, including information on who to contact if you are having an issue.
To get more information about the beach or ask a question, you can contact the call center that has been set up. The telephone number for the call center is 888-764-7357, and they are open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.
