Seven Wendy's restaurants in the valley have been identified among the 1,025 around the nation where hackers stole customer's credit and debit card information.

The fast food chain says the hackers accessed card numbers, names, expiration dates and codes on the cards.

"It's terrifying because I pay with a card all the time like 99% of the time," said Jaye Cristoff of Boardman.

In addition, a statement from Wendy's says some customer's cards were used to make fraudulent purchases at other stores.

The company says it has since deactivated the malware responsible for the data release.

A list released by Wendy's identifies 69 restaurants in Ohio as victims of the hackers.

Customers who used credit or debit cards at the below restaurants on the dates listed may be impacted by the breach:

  • Austintown - 27 S Raccoon Rd. - 11/1/2015 and 2/14/2016

  • Boardman - 433 Boardman-Poland Rd.-  1/13/2016 and 6/8/2016

  • Calcutta - 15957 State Route 170 - 1/13/2016 and 6/8/2016

  • Niles - 5711 Youngstown Warren Rd. - 10/31/2015 and 2/14/2016

  • Salem - 2388 E. State Street - 1/13/2016 and 6/8/2016

  • Bazetta Twp. - 2033 Walmart Dr. NE. - 10/31/2015 and 2/14/2016

  • Liberty Twp. - 4001 Belmont Ave.- 11/1/2015 and 2/14/2016

Wendy's stores in several Pennsylvania communities are also on the list. No restaurants in Mercer County are included.

Vic Russell says even if the hackers got your info back in 2015, you still need to monitor your accounts for suspicious activity.

"Some of those accounts do get sold  on the black market and there's a time lag there. Hackers are smart at this . They'll try small charges first and if they're successful at first they'll go with the bigger amounts," said Russell.

He says if you do see anything, it's important to contact your financial institution immediately.

And while the damage is already done for many who used their credit card to buy lunch, Russell says you can avoid data breaches in the future by only using credit card machines which read chips, or by paying cash.

The chain is offering fraud consultation and identity consultation to affected customers.

Those who may have been affected by the incident are being asked to call a toll-free number, (866) 779-0485, 8:00 am to 5:30 pm CST, Monday through Friday to learn more about the fraud consultation and identity restoration services available.

Wendy's is also encouraging customers to watch for unauthorized charges on their payment cards and to quickly report suspicious activity to their bank or credit card company.

The phone number to call is usually on the back of the credit or debit card.

Those possibly impacted by the hack can find information on what to do by following this link.