Credit unions have replaced 4 million cards affected by Target data breach

Credit unions across the country have replaced an estimated 4 million credit and debit cards affected by the data theft at Target stores late last year.

The institutions aren't happy about the costs they're incurring — an estimated $25 million to $30 million — because of the massive data breach at Target, said Bill Hampel, chief economist for the Credit Union National Association.

He said his group's members will try to recover their expenses from Target but retailers have rarely taken responsibility for such costs.

Meanwhile, the nation's largest banks have reported they've replaced 15 million cards whose numbers were captured by hackers who hit Target. Overall, the cyber crooks made off with account information for 40 million cards.

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U.S. Bank has said it will reissue 1.2 million credit and debit cards nationwide to customers who shopped at Target when account information was stolen. The bank called the move precautionary to reduce future risk.

Chase Bank has replaced about 2 million credit or debit cards.

TCF Bank is reissuing debit cards to customers who shopped at Target when hackers were stealing card numbers. It's not saying how many cards that is. Wells Fargo also has not disclosed how many cards it is reissuing.

Minnesota's credit unions are replacing all credit and debit cards caught up in the Target data breach. That's about 60,000 cards.