Nintendo confirms 160,000 accounts were hacked

Nintendo confirmed in an April 24 press release that 160,000 accounts had been hacked. Users had been reporting that they were receiving email alerts warning them of an unknown IP address accessing their profiles since the beginning of April. While the company continues to investigate, Nintendo announced it would be disabling the ability to log into an account through a Nintendo Network ID (NNID). Hackers were able to access nicknames, date of birth, country and email addresses, as well as make fraudulent charges on some accounts. although Nintendo claims credit card and payment information remains safe. Nintendo did not explain how the hack was able to occur but insisted that it had nothing to do with a breach in databases or servers. The company declined to divulge more details in fear that it would encourage more unauthorized log-ins, reports The Verge. People on Twitter shared their horror stories dealing with the hack, some saying that they were charged hundreds of dollars on unauthorized in-game purchases. “I get home from work and during the drive home my Nintendo account was hacked and they spent 300 dollars on fortnite... ;-; I need a hug”. “Looks like I fell victim the series of account hacks hitting Nintendo accounts. Someone charged $99 to my PayPal account to buy V-Bucks for in Fortnite (not my account)”. Nintendo has asked customers to review their purchase history and report anything suspicious. In the meantime, logging in with an NNID is no longer an option. The company recommends setting up two-step verification to protect accounts from future hackers