Barnes & Noble breach includes R.I.

NEW YORK (AP/WPRI) -- Barnes & Noble Inc. said Tuesday that devices used by customers to swipe credit and debit cards have been tampered with in 63 of its stores in nine states, including Rhode Island.

The company warned customers to check for unauthorized transactions and to change their personal identification numbers, or PINs.

• Related: Protect Yourself from ID Theft

It didn't say how many accounts may have been compromised.

The New York-based bookseller said in a statement Tuesday only one of the devices, known as PIN pads, was tampered with in each of the 63 stores.

The stores are in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Rhode Island locations:

• 1311 West Main Road, Middletown, RI
• 371 Putnam Pike Suite 330, Smithfield, RI
• 1350-B Bald Hill Rd, Warwick, RI

All the PIN pads in its nearly 700 stores nationwide were disconnected on Sept. 14 after the company learned of the tampering.

Federal authorities are helping in its investigation.

Barnes & Noble said it is working with banks and card issuers to identify compromised accounts so that additional fraud-protection measures can be taken.

Customers at its book stores will now have to ask cashiers to swipe credit or debit cards on card readers connected to cash registers, a process that is secure.

Anything bought on BarnesandNoble.com or with the chain's Nook devices and app were not affected, the company said.