Card data breaches are apparently not an exclusively U.S.phenomenon. According to media reports, Visa Europe isinvestigating a possible card data security breach in Romania andsome European banks have already started to close accounts andreissue cards.

One, CEC Bank, a state-owned bank in Romania, issued thefollowing statement about the breach:

“The Bank received official notices according to which theinformation related to a number of cards issued by financialinstitutions from Romania and from abroad has been probablycompromised at the level of an international database. To thepurpose of protecting the money availabilities of the customers andaccording to the contractual provisions, CEC Bank has applied themeasure of blocking and re-issuing for free the card and therelated PIN code, to a number of cards within its ownportfolio.”

Media reports put the number of cards at 17,000.

Visa Europe said it had been informed of a potential datasecurity breach at a European processor and an investigation isunder way. The brand said it was working closely with our memberbanks to ensure cardholders are protected.

The Romanian Association of Banks, meanwhile, revealed thatseveral banks had been advised of a possible security breach at aEuropean payment processor, and urged any customers suspicious thattheir card details may have been compromised to contact their bankfor clarification.

Card data breaches in the U.S. have caused hundreds of millionsof cards to be reissued and cost card issuers hundreds of millionsof dollars.