Target: Hack Actually Hit 70M Customers

Target today said that personal information—including phone numbers and email and mailing addresses—was stolen from as many as 70 million customers in its pre-Christmas data breach. That's substantially more customers than the 40 million Target had previously said were affected. "I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this," CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement.

The chain also indicated its sales have been hurt by the breach, cutting its forecast for fourth-quarter earnings. It also said it now foresees fourth-quarter sales at stores open at least a year will be down about 2.5%; it previously predicted those sales would be about flat. (More Target stories.)