Sony identity theft threat

May 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Sony has issued a worldwide alert after personal details of customers who play online games and download content were stolen by hackers. Up to three million people in the UK are thought to have been among the 77 million Play Station users worldwide who have had their personal information, possibly including credit card details, stolen.

The Play Station Network (PSN) was hacked into by criminals in one of the worst security breaches ever. Computer security experts said the it looked very much like deliberate commercial criminal activity going for a saleable commodity - people's identities. It looks like they breached Sony's corporate systems and then moved through them to access this valuable data. The computer security experts confirmed that these commercial hacking attacks on large sources of personal information had increased recently.

The details stolen potentially include names, addresses, date of birth, email addresses and passwords, worth millions to criminals who can use them for identity theft. But what exactly is identity fraud and identity theft? It's basically where someone takes over another person's bank account or credit card by impersonating them using the personal information they have collected. This identity and personal information is valuable. Fraudsters can use it to open bank accounts and get credit cards, loans, welfare benefits and documents such as passports and driving licences. Or they can simply buy goods or transfer funds into an account they have set up. They can even ask for the person's address to be changed so all statements and information are sent directly to them.

In response to this concern, Sony warned all users of the network to watch out for fraudulent activity on their credit cards. Users were also warned to be wary of 'phishing' emails - those pretending to be updates or security information. Also to make it a priority to change the password on any sites or services where they used the password they had been using on the PSN network. Sony also advised that viewing your credit report could be a good way to check for any identity theft threats.

Viewing their credit report is one of the best ways for people to check that they have not unwittingly become a victim of identity theft. A credit report is a document listing a person’s financial history. Every individual has one, and it details any bank accounts they may have, credit cards, loans, debts and whether they are registered on the electoral roll. The credit report monitors all relevant movements which occur throughout their life time, such as opening a new account and closing an old one, taking out a mortgage, even things like mobile phone payments. Every time a payment is made to a credit card, for instance, it is highlighted within the report. One simple way of checking a credit report is at http://www.quickcreditscore.co.uk

Quick Credit Score is an online membership programme which provides the tools people need to access and monitor their financial and credit information. This includes allowing direct access to a credit report, provided by one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies, Callcredit. Quick Credit Score allows people to stay protected with 24/7 alerts of suspicious activity on their credit file provided by Callcredit. The credit report shows any credit, accounts or benefits applied for in a person's name, and any new activity on a credit report will trigger one of these alerts. This might be something as simple as paying off a credit card statement, but by spotting any unauthorised activity, potential victims will be able to react immediately, and notify all of the relevant authorities and companies.

To join Quick Credit Score and learn more about credit reporting and how to keep your identity safe please visit http://www.quickcreditscore.co.uk for full product details, credit information and identity theft hints.

Quick Credit Score is an online membership programme, which gives you access to your credit information held by one of the UK’s leading credit reference agency.  Quick Credit Score is a membership programme and monthly membership fees are payable after any free promotional free period has come to an end.