The Circle K convenience chain store in Hong Kong has suspended accepting electronic payments after a suspected cyberattack.
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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,” it said.
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 – excluding Octopus top-up, product pickup and utility bill payment services – had been disrupted, while voucher, stamp collecting and stamp redemption functions under its loyalty programme were also suspended.