Wal-Mart computers down in parts of country. Cyber attack or system failure? (Edit)

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by opal13

 

Wal Marts don't have internal banks - they did once upon a time, I think. Now they have proprietary "money centers" which are owned and operated by Wal Mart Inc.

Information about Wal Mart backdooring into the banking industry

edit on 9/23/10 by Hefficide because: (no reason given)

Incorrect Sir. When I was an Assistant Store Manager for Wal-Mart about 3 years ago all the stores in my district underwent remodels. Banks were installed where the Family Fun Centres (arcades) were. The bank chain installed was First Market Bank. We still have them in our stores.

reply to post by Djdoubt03


You are correct, I do stand somewhat corrected. But the bank you have referenced is a "thrift" and not a traditional bank.

Walmart has a partnership with Suntrust bank as well. These arrangements are interesting.

First Market’s Fairchild is ambivalent about whether Wal-Mart should be granted full-fledged entry into banking, perhaps because of the same self-interests that all community bankers have about such a scenario. Wal-Mart’s “colossal” size and ability to dominate markets poses problems that the Ukrop’s-First Market combination doesn’t, at least for now, he says. “Personally, I’m not sure I’d be an advocate to say let’s break down the barriers to Gramm-Leach-Bliley. But there are situations where it could work and ours is one of them,” Fairchild says. “It’s kind of hard to make the leap that, gee, it works for us, couldn’t it work for anybody else?”

Source (pdf file)

This relationship seems to be a limited venture (possibly only in Virginia, though I can't find clarification of this, one way or the other, as of yet) and isn't the way that Wal Mart is operating in most markets. Here in GA Walmarts, to the best of my knowledge, have only proprietary money centers and no banks. Though, obviously, I have not been to every Walmart in the state to verify it!

reply to post by Djdoubt03


Since you have some first hand knowledge of Wal-Mart goings on, do you have any ideas about what is going on today?
Someone above mentioned this may be on purpose in order for Wal-Mart to get as much cash as they can. I don't see this being the case, because just the short time I was there, I saw a lot of people leaving full carts and just walking out, because they didn't have enough cash on them.
As I was leaving the store, the store greeters had already begun to tell customers that were entering that they could only accept cash, something they weren't doing when I walked in.

I was thinking - and again I am only seeing reports on twitter, ect., that coinstar kiosks are affected - could there be some sort of frame relay they are running over that is affected at a crucial central point? Something PHYSICAL that has been disrupted that other services, like check cashing - don't run over? Like maybe those run over traditional IP networks and it is the frame relay networks involved?

I have NO idea what their network map would begin to look at. That's just weird though.
Can anyone confirm that the kiosks are down too?

reply to post by hadriana

I didn't even pay attention to the kiosks, and going to Wal-Mart once in a day is more than enough for me. Not going back to find out.
I am also wondering if this has anything to do with Facebook going down today.

Likely not, but it is curious.

Attention walmart shoppers you are supporting the bloodletting of children and other human beings
And the ruination of long time American store owners/Families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get the he!! out of the store NOW and NEVER RETURN - NEVER ...
walmart KILLS ....

Originally posted by AmericanDaughter

Attention walmart shoppers you are supporting the bloodletting of children and other human beings
And the ruination of long time American store owners/Families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get the he!! out of the store NOW and NEVER RETURN - NEVER ...
walmart KILLS ....

Yeah, but they've got those $5.00 DVD bins, so bloodied kids are a small price to pay for quality and affordable entertainment options.

reply to post by Chamberf=6



I was also wondering if there was a connection here with Facebook being down. I had a terrible time posting on Care2Connect today - everything I did double posted or wouldn't post, couldn't get into groups, etc. Is this just the beginning of attacks that were promised on corporations - why not thru the net to disrupt the advertising on the sites of the corporations?

reply to post by Hefficide


and to many people it is the only place in town to shop cuz the evilmart has destroyed mom and pop owened stores
and who cares if our kids get poisoned by made in china as long as it is cheap
(Money wize anyway)

The store I work at in Colorado is also experiencing this. Debit and credit cards appear to be working now, still can't do money grams or check cashing. My understanding is that the system all runs off of the same satellite that does check/debit authorizations nationwide.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


Last Sunday, both the local AT&T cellphones AND Wallie's was out. Wal-Mart (Wallie's) had NO computers working, closed the registers, and couldn't even receive incoming phone calls. Their computers and cameras are all run out of Arkansas office. I only know the local one was out for several hours for sure (maybe longer ...).

I checked the Internet, no news anywhere. I did find they were hacked last year in October on an Internet article, and another time in 2003 and 2004 which took them over a year to discover they'd been hacked. Geesh! Think of all those silly peeps who used credit cards at Wallie's Spy Mart!

Confirmed via 1st hand heresay - "Sieman's" is seen on the startup screens on handheld computers used by certain service workers at Wallies.

The Credit/Debit system was down in mid Minnesota today as well. Along with the same system for Murphy's USA. There were also some periodic problems with Coinstar and the ATM's locally to me too. I wonder if this has anything to do with Facebook being down for 3 hours today and yesterday for a lot of (but not all) people worldwide. Interestingly enough, at one point today, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, MSN Live Mail, Ning, Blogger and Twitter were all down at the same time.

Cyber attack....

system failure....

or proof of God.