Target review: Target failed to protect my account and failed to help after fraud occurred

I recently experienced fraud involving my Target account, and the way it was handled by both the local store and Target corporate was incredibly disappointing.

I do not live in South Carolina and never have. I received an email from Target notifying me that an order totaling several hundred dollars had been placed and was being processed. When I logged into my Target account, I discovered that someone had gained access to it and had changed the account information to include a different phone number, and address. Using the payment method I had saved on my account, they placed an order for pickup at the Rock Hill, South Carolina Target.

I immediately called the Rock Hill store. The employee confirmed the order had not yet been picked up, but told me there was nothing they could do to stop it or place the order on hold, despite my reporting it as fraudulent. I was instructed to contact Target's corporate customer service instead.

Within approximately 30 seconds, I reached Target's customer support and explained the situation. By that time, I was informed that the order had already been picked up. The only advice I was given was to file a police report.

I then called the Rock Hill store again seeking assistance in identifying the person who committed the fraud. Team Lead Walter Ferris told me that the employee who released the order might be able to identify the individual and that Asset Protection would review surveillance footage to identify the vehicle involved. He encouraged me to file a police report and said they would cooperate with law enforcement.

I did exactly that. Unfortunately, according to the responding officer, neither the employee nor the surveillance review provided any useful identifying information.

What makes this even more concerning is Target's stated pickup policy, which indicates that customers are required to either present a government-issued ID or scan the pickup barcode within the Target app. Neither appears to have occurred in this case. After receiving the fraud notification, I immediately deleted the app to prevent any further unauthorized access, so no one could have used my app to scan a pickup barcode. The person also would not have had my government-issued ID.

This raises serious questions about how the order was released and whether Target's pickup verification procedures were actually followed.

Most concerning of all is that someone was able to access my Target account, change my personal information, and use my saved payment method without any apparent safeguards preventing it. I expected Target to take this security breach seriously and provide meaningful assistance. Instead, I was passed between the store and corporate customer service, with neither taking ownership of resolving the issue.

My experience left me with little confidence that Target adequately protects customer accounts or effectively responds when fraud occurs.

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