Microsoft says Xbox security wasn't breached
Gamers who reported fraud with their Xbox Live account were likely duped into giving up their information, according to Microsoft.
"There have been a few isolated incidents where malicious users have been attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users and use it to gain access to their Live account," the company said in a statement.
The statement comes a day after Microsoft said it would investigate possible fraud on its Xbox Live and Bungie.net online gaming properties. Gamers had reported that their Xbox Live accounts were hijacked and their credit cards used to buy "Microsoft Points," the virtual currency on Xbox Live, which has more than 6 million users.
"We have looked into the situation and found no evidence of any compromise of the security of Bungie.net or our Live network," Microsoft said in the statement. It added that, to its knowledge, no credit card or other personal information was exposed.
There appears to be several groups of Xbox Live players who openly boast about stealing account information. On one Web site, a group calling itself "Infamous" claims to steal at least 10 accounts each day.
"We think this is a good time to remind our members that they should never give out any of their personal information," Microsoft said. To protect their account, Xbox users should not give out information that personally identifies them, such as their real name, address, phone number or credit card number, Microsoft said.
"This information could be used by other players for illegal or harmful purposes. Also, don't give out the personal information of other players," the company said.