Home Depot breach could lead to massive credit, debit card fraud

Experts consulted by ABC News believe the hacking of Home Depot's payment systems could lead to a huge amount of fraud.

Sixty million credit and debit cards may be affected, and now experts estimate 10 to 15 percent of those cards will be used to commit fraud.

Home Depot says it's continuing its investigation and customers won't be responsible for any fraudulent charges.

CEO and Chairman Frank Blake released a statement apologizing to customers for the frustration the data hack may cause.

"We owe it to our customers to alert them that we now have enough evidence to confirm that a breach has indeed occurred. It's important to emphasize that no customers will be responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts," he said.

The Home Depot is offering free identity protection services to customers who may have used a payment card at a store since April. Customers wishing to take advantage of the services can learn more at www.homedepot.com or call 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (800-466-3337).

Home Depot, which said malware was used in the hack, has announced that it plans to have chip-enabled checkout terminals at all of its U.S. stores by the end of this year.