The US stationer Staples is investigating a possible data breach that may include payment card information.
The probe was prompted after several banks noticed a pattern of card fraud that could be linked to the company’s stores in the north-east of the US, according to security reporter Brian Krebs.
Charles Sweeney, chief executive of security firm Bloxx, said: "Staples is possibly the next in a long list of US retailers to have fallen victim to a hack that would see its customer’s card details compromised.
"There appears to be a definite trend emerging, with hackers clearly viewing the retail industry as easy pickings."
Staples spokesman Mark Cautela said the retailer had contacted police, and reminded customers that they were not liable for card fraud provided they quickly notified their provider.
"We take the protection of customer information very seriously, and are working to resolve the situation," he added.
