PORTLAND (AP) – Hannaford Bros. Co. has been hit with two class action lawsuits filed on behalf of consumers whose credit and debit card numbers were stolen as a result of a security breach.

A Philadelphia law firm, Berger & Montague, said it filed suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland, alleging that the supermarket chain was negligent for failing to provide adequate security for computer data. A similar lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor named Melinda Ryan as lead plaintiff.

Hannaford reported Monday that the data breach exposed the 4.2 million credit and debit cards to the potential for fraudulent activity. Berger & Montague said the breach has exposed Hannaford customers to the risk of fraud, forcing them to spend time monitoring their accounts and dispute fraudulent charges.

Hannaford spokeswoman Carol Eleazer said the company has not been served with any complaints and had no comment.

AP-ES-03-19-08 1952EDT