Circle K chain in Hong Kong suspends e-payments after suspected cyberattack
Convenience store chain with nearly 400 outlets in city says network problem has affected its e-payment, email and loyalty programme systems
The Circle K convenience chain store in Hong Kong has suspended accepting electronic payments after a suspected cyberattack.
Circle K Hong Kong, which operates nearly 400 outlets across the city, said on Sunday evening that a network problem had affected its e-payment, email and loyalty programme systems.
“Our stores remain open and operating, and customers may pay with cash or Octopus, though electronic payment transactions are temporarily unavailable,” it said in a statement shared on social media.
“As we cannot rule out a possible cyberattack, we have acted quickly to secure customer, employee and supplier data, and are working with law enforcement and third-party forensics experts to determine the cause, scope and extent of this breach, including whether any data has been compromised.”
On Monday, a notice was put up next to the cashier in a Circle K branch in Causeway Bay, saying it could not accept e-payments due to a “network outage”.
The chain first announced on Saturday that its electronic payments, except via Octopus, had been disrupted.