Dollar Tree denies data breach – says hackers targeted its rival instead

INC Ransom recently added Dollar Tree to its data leak site
Dollar Tree responded by saying the data belonged to 99 Cents Only
99 Cents Only is a discount retailer that declared bankruptcy in 2024

Hackers are claiming to have breached Dollar Tree and stole its sensitive files, but the discount retail giant says it never suffered an attack, and the data being waved around the dark net doesn’t belong to it.

A ransomware operation known as INC Ransom recently added Dollar Tree to its data leak page, claiming it stole 1.2 terabytes of sensitive and personal data, threatening to release it unless a ransom is paid. The group provided a sample of the stolen data, including passport scans, and also quoted a Dollar Tree press release in which it announced the acquisition of 99 Cents Only leases.

And there’s the rub – Dollar Tree says the data actually belongs to 99 Cents Only – an entirely different discount shopping chain.

99 Cents Only’s data wasn’t acquired

99 Cents Only declared bankruptcy in April 2024, citing economic stress from inflation, pandemic effects, theft/shrinkage, and stiff competition. It closed all 371 stores by mid‑2024 after liquidation, and Dollar Tree acquired rights to 170 former leases, along with its North American IP and some in-store equipment.

Dollar Tree repurposed many of these leases and opened it as its own stores later that year.

A spokesperson for the discount retailer said they were aware of the data theft claims, but stressed that it was 99 Cents Only stores that got hit.

“The files referenced in these claims appear to involve former 99 Cents Only employees,” the spokesperson said. “Dollar Tree’s involvement with 99 Cents Only Stores is related to the purchase of select real estate lease rights following their closure.”

“We did not acquire their corporate entity, systems/network, or data. Any allegation of Dollar Tree’s involvement is inaccurate.”

Since 99 Cents Only shut down, its emails and phone numbers are defunct, making it impossible to ask for a statement or a comment. Dollar Tree, on the other hand, is one of the most successful businesses in its industry, with more than $17.6 billion in sales last year.

Via The Record