Las Vegas hotels reportedly fell victim to cyberattacks earlier this year. As a result, customers are instructed to keep a very close eye on their credit card statements.
The folks at Affinity Gaming were notified of fraudulent charges connected to one of their hotels in Iowa towards the end of October. Although the company claims that systems are presently extremely secure, Affinity wants customers who recently stopped by one of their establishments to pay attention to their finances.
The Associated Press reports that Las Vegas hotels aren’t the ones affected by the recent cyberattack. In addition to hotels and casinos in Nevada, the security breach also compromised data in Colorado, Iowa, and Missouri. Credit card information was stolen from 11 locations between March 14th and October 16th.
If Affinity Gaming was notified about the cyberbattacks on October 24 , then why did it take so long for the company to issue a widespread warning to its customers? The company said that a notice originally appeared on its official website on November 14. However, Affinity decided to make a broader announcement on Friday (December 20).
Despite the notice from company regarding its Las Vegas hotels, neither officials from the FBI and Nevada Gaming Control Board nor the Las Vegas Police Department have issued an official statement. However, it’s believed than an investigation is reportedly still ongoing.
“Affinity regrets any inconvenience this incident may cause and has established a confidential, toll-free inquiry line to assist its customers,” the company explained. Affinity believes that less than 300,000 cardholders were affected by the cyberattack.
Here’s the original release posted to the company’s website:
“Affinity Gaming recently became aware of an intrusion into the system that processes customer credit and debit cards for our casinos, and a thorough investigation is under way by third-party data forensics experts. We also have notified law enforcement and gaming regulatory officials, and are cooperating in investigating the matter. Although our forensics investigation is ongoing, outside experts have confirmed that our system has been fully secured and our customers’ payments are protected.”
In addition to Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Affinity also owns Rail City Casino, Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino, Primm Valley Resort and Casino, and Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino in Nevada. A separate security breach reportedly took place at Primm Center Gas Station as well.
Customers who recently visited the company’s Las Vegas hotels or any of its other establishments are encouraged to reach out to Affinity Gaming at 877-238-2179.
[Image via Shutterstock.com ]