No Employees Involved in Jason's Deli Credit Card Thefts

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Secret Service has cleared Jason's Deli employees for the recent debit and credit card thefts at the store on Ridgeway.

Instead, they say the businesses computers were hacked. This virus only affected the Jason's Deli on Ridgeway.

The owner said business dropped 50 to 60 percent since the incident. The Secret Service said they found a virus even their computers couldn't immediately detect. They say it is now safe to use debit and credit cards there again.

Phil Dowdle is a "regular" at Jason's Deli on Ridgeway. But in the last few months, unusual charges started popping up on two of his credit cards.

"Our credit fraud people called us and wanted to verify charges in Washington and Indiana," said Dowdle.

Dowdle said he isn't certain his information was stolen from Jason's Deli.
But earlier this month, roughly 300 customer's debit and credit card information was compromised after eating there.

During a news conference, Tuesday, the Secret Service said they found the problem.

"We have determined not an employee involved in any way, the computers were hacked," said Rick Harlow from the Secret Service.

Harlow said the restaurant's computers were infected with a virus they hadn't seen before. They're now working to prevent the virus from hitting other businesses.

"Think of H1N1, had to develop vaccine when it was discovered, no vaccine for this virus now. We're working on it now sent it to computer EM. Response team at Carnegie melon working on inoculation for the virus," said Harlow.

Harlow said the hackers are from Russia. Agents don't know why Jason's Deli was targeted.

"I don't think anyone involved had been to this location or knows what it is. May know Jason's Deli was a restaurant or saw there was a lot of credit card traffic and that's why it was targeted," said Harlow.

Harlow said there was nothing the restaurant could have done to prevent the hacking adding, it could have happened to any business.

It's not deterring Dowdle from going to the Deli.

"We've had it happen other places, we'll continue to come back Jason's is a wonderful place to eat," said Dowdle.

The Secret Service agent we spoke with said it's safer to use credit cards than debit cards because that way the money won't come right out of your account.

The Secret Service is holding a financial crimes seminar in Bartlet in October.