PSN data leak leading to spam emails?

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

I have had my gmail account for years. Today I found myself locked out of it. I had to give them my mobile number to get a text to let me back in. Then I had to change my password. This has never happened before.

When I got into my account, I found that gmail had bounced back to me spam emails that were sent from my account.

I wonder if this is due to the PSN data leak. Has this happened to you?

For the record, I don't know how my original gmail password could have been known by the spammers as it was not the same password I used on PSN. It just seems a strange coincidence. :unsure:

[Miuku.]

I got these on my hotmail/msn.com address a while back - this was weeks _before_ the PSN hack - the sender fakes your "from:" portion of the mail and sends them around the world, resulting in the mail servers bouncing it back to you.

Incidentally I use that mail addy on Wowhead/MMO-Champion.

[D. S. Veteran]

I have had my gmail account for years. Today I found myself locked out of it. I had to give them my mobile number to get a text to let me back in. Then I had to change my password. This has never happened before.

When I got into my account, I found that gmail had bounced back to me spam emails that were sent from my account.

I wonder if this is due to the PSN data leak. Has this happened to you?

For the record, I don't know how my original gmail password could have been known by the spammers as it was not the same password I used on PSN. It just seems a strange coincidence. :unsure:

Was the secret question & answer the same?

[Ayepecks]

I have had my gmail account for years. Today I found myself locked out of it. I had to give them my mobile number to get a text to let me back in. Then I had to change my password. This has never happened before.

When I got into my account, I found that gmail had bounced back to me spam emails that were sent from my account.

I wonder if this is due to the PSN data leak. Has this happened to you?

For the record, I don't know how my original gmail password could have been known by the spammers as it was not the same password I used on PSN. It just seems a strange coincidence. :unsure:

What's your password? I'll check to see if it's happening to you still. :shifty:

In all seriousness, you'd have to be incredibly unlucky for this to happen to you, so I doubt it's that. Nothing's hinted to the encryption being broken, so unless you were one of the first they figured out and your password was the same, I doubt it.

[Xerxes]

I have had my gmail account for years. Today I found myself locked out of it. I had to give them my mobile number to get a text to let me back in. Then I had to change my password. This has never happened before.

When I got into my account, I found that gmail had bounced back to me spam emails that were sent from my account.

I wonder if this is due to the PSN data leak. Has this happened to you?

For the record, I don't know how my original gmail password could have been known by the spammers as it was not the same password I used on PSN. It just seems a strange coincidence. :unsure:

Just a strange coincidence I'd say, happened to my Yahoo!7 account a while ago. Was suddently locked out and it started spamming everyone in my address book (luckly I hardly use that account, so only a few names in the address book) got back in, immediatly changed the password and then contacted everyone it spammed telling them not to open the msgs I sent them...fun day :p hasn't happened since.

[Melfster]

I have had my gmail account for years. Today I found myself locked out of it. I had to give them my mobile number to get a text to let me back in. Then I had to change my password. This has never happened before.

When I got into my account, I found that gmail had bounced back to me spam emails that were sent from my account.

I wonder if this is due to the PSN data leak. Has this happened to you?

For the record, I don't know how my original gmail password could have been known by the spammers as it was not the same password I used on PSN. It just seems a strange coincidence. :unsure:

This also happened to me on 2 of my gmail accounts last week. One of the accounts I used for my PS3 so there could be something to this.

[Noveed]

I primarily use 2 email addresses however sony should only ever know one of them... bizarre I received 2 emails one sent to each address but both from different email addresses.

Sent to my gmail address:

Service Update - Important information for registered users of PlayStation Network and Qriocity services

Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer:

We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have:

1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services;

2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and

3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state/province, zip or postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence that credit card data was taken at this time, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, to be on the safe side we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security, tax identification or similar number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant to review your account statements and to monitor your credit or similar types of reports.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at www.eu.playstation.com/psnoutage should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Sony Network Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Teams

Sony Network Entertainment Europe Limited (formerly known as PlayStation Network Europe Limited) is a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited the data controller for PlayStation Network/Qriocity personal data

This email was sent from news@emails.eu.playstation.com

Next my msn email which I rarely use but still check on every now and then, this email I do not ever recall disclosing to Sony or its affiliates. It received this message.

Important information regarding PlayStation Network and Qriocity services?

Add PlayStation_Network@playstation-email.com to your address book

===================================

PlayStation®Network

===================================

Valued PlayStation®Network/Qriocity Customer:

We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011,

certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account

information was compromised in connection with an illegal and

unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this

intrusion, we have:

1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services;

2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full

and complete investigation into what happened; and

3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our

network infrastructure by rebuilding our system to provide you

with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill

as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and

efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident,

we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following

information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country,

email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login,

and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data,

including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip),

and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may

have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your

dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have

been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit

card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have

provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity,

out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit

card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have

been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email,

telephone and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive

information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email,

asking for your credit card number, social security number or other

personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information,

you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation

Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that

you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation

Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or

accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we

encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and

to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information

for those who wish to consider it:

- U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually

from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report,

visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

- We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S.

credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus

place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps

to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can

make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however,

that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you,

it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your

identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others

are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a

fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report,

please contact any one of the agencies listed below:

Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division,

P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

- You may wish to visit the website of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at

www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect

yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice

on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or

suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General,

and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be

contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone

(877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney

General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202;

telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this

incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the

clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes

information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that

additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information.

Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is

our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any

additional questions.

Sincerely,

Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment

This email was sent from the address PlayStation_Network@playstation-email.com

The first one looks a bit more legit, at the end of the day its the one where my PSN account is linked to, the second one seems shady, it was just sent as text only, no images and stuff :blink:

[Knightwolf20024]

What's your password? I'll check to see if it's happening to you still. :shifty:

In all seriousness, you'd have to be incredibly unlucky for this to happen to you, so I doubt it's that. Nothing's hinted to the encryption being broken, so unless you were one of the first they figured out and your password was the same, I doubt it.

only the cc tables were said to be the only info encrypted , the passwords e-mail adresses and all other information wasn't encrytped

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

Was the secret question & answer the same?

Actually, this is a good point. It may have been. I've just gone and changed it. Thanks! :)