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Massive Data Breach Reported By Chicago Theatre

By David Matthews | November 22, 2016 4:18pm
 Chicago Theatre
Chicago Theatre
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Flickr/schiebel

THE LOOP — The owner of the landmarked Chicago Theatre on State Street reported a massive data breach Tuesday.

The Madison Square Garden Co., which owns the historic theater at 175 N. State St. and other venues, announced a "payment card issue" that could affect anyone who's visited the theater in the past year. 

The company said that an unauthorized skimmer took customers' names, credit card numbers and other information as people swiped their cards at Madison Square Garden venues including the Chicago Theatre.

The breach specifically affected those who used a card to pay for food, drinks and merchandise from Nov. 9, 2015 to Oct. 24, 2016 the company said. 

Madison Square Garden said it is working with law enforcement, but assured the public that the issue has been resolved.

"It is important to note that MSG has fixed the issue, and customers may use their cards with confidence at MSG venues," the company said in a statement. 

The theater known for its bright marquee off State and Lake streets first opened in 1921, and remains one of Chicago's most familiar buildings. Upcoming shows at the theater include Jerry Seinfeld, Aretha Franklin, and R. Kelly. 

Madison Square Garden, which owns its namesake arena in Manhattan, bought the Chicago Theatre in 2007. The number of people affected by the breach is unknown.

A spokeswoman for the company said in a statement that Madison Square Garden "takes seriously the protection of customer information and is in the process of notifying customers to provide them with information on how they can protect themselves.” The spokeswoman declined to comment further. 

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