(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today warned users of Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity to monitor their bank accounts and to watch for email scams in the wake of the announcement from Sony Computer Entertainment of America that user account information was compromised.
"We always encourage consumers to take precautions when it comes to their personal information, but when a large breach occurs, they need to be especially careful," Attorney General DeWine said. "Consumers should be skeptical of any e-mails that claim to relate to the situation, and they should watch their bank statements closely."
Attorney General DeWine offered consumers the following tips:
- Monitor your credit card charges and bank accounts. Carefully review credit card and other bank statements, and look for any unauthorized charges or suspicious activity, such as a missing bill or an unexpected statement.
- Beware of possible spam emails and phishing attempts. If you receive a message that claims to be from Sony and/or asks you to verify your account information, beware: it could be a phishing scam. Phishing occurs when con artists pretend be related to a company or organization to gain personal information. Sony has stated that it will not ask its customers for credit card numbers, Social Security numbers or other identifiable information in Sony-initiated contacts.
- Check with Sony for updates. To receive current information, visit the Sony Computer Entertainment of America website.
Sony appears to be communicating updates through the Consumer Alerts section of its website. It issued the following alert to consumers, notifying them of the intrusion and encouraging them to check their credit reports and to take other precautions: http://us.playstation.com/news/consumeralerts/.
For more information on protecting personal information, consumers should contact the Attorney General's office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515.
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Media Contacts:
Lisa Hackley 614-466-3840
Eve Mueller 614-466-3840