CRYSTAL LAKE – Barnes & Noble Inc. said Wednesday the tampering of devices used by customers to swipe credit and debit cards in 63 of its stores – including the one in Crystal Lake – was a "sophisticated criminal effort" to steal information, and reiterated it's working with federal law enforcement authorities.

The nation's largest bookseller late Tuesday disclosed the data breach in stores in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, and warned customers to check for unauthorized transactions and to change their personal identification numbers, or PINs.

In addition to the Crystal Lake store, at 5380 Route 14, other Illinois stores tampered devices were also found at Barnes & Noble locations in West Dundee, Evanston, Deerfield, Deer Park and Chicago.