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Sony agrees to $15M settlement in 2011 data breach class action

A

Apt101

Member
I got a free subscription to an identity protection service due to this. I forget for how long. But some time after they actually prevented my identity from being stolen from an unrelated account with really old, differing credentials (even an old e-mail address I no longer used). They made the process incredibly easy to report and rectify. Sorry if that sounded like an advertisement. Actually, I'll go ahead and redact the company and link now....

So at least that bit of goodness came from it. It blew not having access to PSN for a really long time, but I feel like I was reasonably compensated for their (IMO) gross negligence in regards to security and the loss of my time. But I think it's good they're paying a price beyond that, particularly for people who were harmed beyond the inconvenience I experienced.

In the end I don't care if I get any additional rewards from this, but I sure as hell won't turn down any free PSN+ time, credits, themes, etc.
 
A

Art Vandilay

Member
I'm still getting identity theft protection from one of their data breaches. I didn't even have an active PSN account, so that was/is cool.
 
A

Arklite

Member
ohlawd said:
Hell, I think this is too low.

I want the $2,500 cap even if the hackers didn't get anything from me.

Sometimes, man, we're too nice to corporations.
Click to expand...

Let's not take 2.5k away from those who can prove their loss, there's not a bottomless pit of funds they can commit.

Anyway, "we" are not that nice considering a small band of hackers jacked their client info and sent the entire network to the cleaners. Shame about games like Portal 2 (co-op) and SOCOM 4 (multi) that released right in the middle of it and likely struggled for sales (mostly SOCOM).
 
B

BronsonLee

Member
ohlawd said:
Hell, I think this is too low.

I want the $2,500 cap even if the hackers didn't get anything from me.

Sometimes, man, we're too nice to corporations.
Click to expand...

giphy.gif

It's nice to want things, isn't it?
 
T

tengiants

Member
Great, now explain the Fifa charges on my PSN account, and why it was so difficult to get the CS rep to get the charges refunded when it clearly wasn't me when I hadn't played my Playstation in months, and don't own any sports games. They had the nerve to say the refund was a one-time convenience. Anyone know if there's lawsuits going on for that?
 
A

Apt101

Member
tengiants said:
Great, now explain the Fifa charges on my PSN account, and why it was so difficult to get the CS rep to get the charges refunded when it clearly wasn't me when I hadn't played my Playstation in months, and don't own any sports games. They had the nerve to say the refund was a one-time convenience. Anyone know if there's lawsuits going on for that?
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I think the FIFA compromises were unrelated to either PSN or Live!. My best friend played that on 360 and was hit. He's in the US and someone in the UK used FIFA to buy a bunch of in-game credit or something, and ordered like $300 worth of pizza. Not sure how they were able to order pizza through his FIFA credentials in the UK, but we thought it was funny.
 
H

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
15 millions sounds really low, actually.

Since I participated in the welcome back thing, I guess I'll take my corn theme and go, just as they want.

iKH7YmjHoXTZz.gif
 
T

tengiants

Member
Apt101 said:
I think the FIFA compromises were unrelated to either PSN or Live!. My best friend played that on 360 and was hit. He's in the US and someone in the UK used FIFA to buy a bunch of in-game credit or something, and ordered like $300 worth of pizza. Not sure how they were able to order pizza through his FIFA credentials in the UK, but we thought it was funny.
Click to expand...

Both Sony and FIFA are saying that's it's the result of a phishing scam, but I don't believe it. I asked the rep if they had seen any recent login activity and they said no. Since there was no login activity, I don't see how it could be the result of a phishing scam.

As someone who needs to dabble into net security sometimes, to me it seems the thief did not have direct access to my account, but were probably spoofing api calls to some lesser known web service that provisions FIFA points. Sony or FIFA would never willingly admit to such an exploit, but I have that feeling especially with how others are reporting similar experiences.
 
7

7DollarHagane

Banned
If any of you have any concerns about Id theft the easiest, cheapest, and most secure thing is to pay either nothing or about $10 per credit bureau and get a credit freeze. It depends on the state you live in on the cost.

No one will even be able to look at your credit unless you call the credit bureaus first.

A lot of the big banks and retailers don't really want people to know about this because easy quick credit is such a big part of their business and especially companies like lifelock charge hundreds per year to tell people when its already happened. That's why its not something that is widely publicized or advertised.

Its really something everyone should do unless you're buying a home or a car anytime soon.
 
7

7DollarHagane

Banned
Netherscourge said:
How do you prove your identity if your identity was stolen?
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Usually a police report done at that time. The police will ask for statements and letters from the creditors who gave fraudulent credit.

This is something related to my job so that's why I have an abnormal amount of knowledge about it.
 
D

Dreamgazer

Member
ohlawd said:
Hell, I think this is too low.

I want the $2,500 cap even if the hackers didn't get anything from me.

Sometimes, man, we're too nice to corporations.
Click to expand...

uh...it's not that we're too nice to corporations...you generally don't want to hand out punitive damages so easily.
 
H

Head.spawn

Junior Member
Point me towards my free stuff, I'm scarred for life, my PS3 is still depressed over this and most of all I forgot to download that free game when this happened.

I really, really wanted Wipeout.
 
D

Dambrosi

Banned
I wonder if UK PS3 owners are eligible for this. Probably not, but I do (and did at the time) have a US account.

And to think, I was just about to buy another year of PS+.
 
B

border

Member
Seems like a decent outcome. All Target did was offer people a free Identity Protection Service (which, in case you didn't know, is basically useless).
 
C

cafemomo

Member
EuropeOG said:
We should all reject this settlement.

It should go towards the development of The Last Guardian.
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Hell nah

Ueda shouldn't get anymore money for his candy crush addiction

I have 4 psn accounts (us, jp, hk, esp) I want free stuff for all of them
 
terrisus

terrisus

Member
steveovig said:
So wait, we get more free stuff?
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Zombie James said:
Sure, I'll take the PS+ top-up.
Click to expand...

mercenar1e said:
just items that can be redeemed on the PSN.. so no cash.
Click to expand...

What about those of us whose only involvement with them was through EverQuest?



EuropeOG said:
We should all reject this settlement.

It should go towards the development of The Last Guardian.
Click to expand...

Megatron said:
Or I suppose they could just light the money on fire. It would have the same effect.
Click to expand...

pino.gif
 
sono

sono

Member
Demetrius said:
I joined PSN in late 2011, so way after it got hacked. Will I get free shit?
Click to expand...

You deserve nothing. Nothing I tell you.

On the other hand loyal long standing customers who were around deserve everything. The shock and worry of it all was really terrible. Not what you want from a gaming medium designed to help you achieve the opposite. So dont ask again and be grateful
 
N

Noisepurge

Member
EdReedFan20 said:
Isn't this a settlement, meaning it won't be going to court. I'm no expert (at all) in law, so it's very possible there's some procedure I have no clue exists.
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"The final fairness hearing, in which a judge will assess the reasonableness of the outcome, will be held May 1, 2015."

and doesn't this only include the people who signed up for the class action lawsuit. Not every PS user on the earth?
 
M

mercenar1e

Member
terrisus said:
What about those of us whose only involvement with them was through EverQuest?
Click to expand...


Today's settlement, which has yet to be approved by the judge, offers plaintiffs benefits such as free PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable games, free PS3 themes, free subscriptions to PlayStation Plus, free subscriptions to the Music Unlimited service and free SOE Station cash.

Those who did participate in the "Welcome Back" package will be eligible to receive one game benefit, a theme benefit or a PlayStation Plus subscription benefit. Participants will also be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis to an aggregate cap of $4 million.
Click to expand...

I haven't played EverQuest so im not sure if you guys even qualify but the SOE Station cash option is not tied to the PSN. The cash option is ONLY available if your identity was stolen because of the PSN hack but you will need documentation to prove it. The rewards are given out on a first come first serve basis to a cap of $4 million (Slickdeals and CAG will abuse the system if it's not implemented right)
 
terrisus

terrisus

Member
mercenar1e said:
I haven't played EverQuest so im not sure if you guys even qualify but the SOE Station cash option is not tied to the PSN. The cash option is ONLY available if your identity was stolen because of the PSN hack but you will need documentation to prove it. The rewards are given out on a first come first serve basis to a cap of $4 million (Slickdeals and CAG will abuse the system if it's not implemented right)
Click to expand...

Well, we were alerted that our information was compromised the same as everyone else.
The only account I had with Sony was through that.
 
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