Gamers Beware: Credit Card Breach Hits Popular Platform

Big Fish, a company that creates and distributes online and mobile games, reported a data breach Feb. 11, saying it had been a victim of a malware attack that compromised some customer payment data. It’s unclear how many people may have been affected, though Big Fish said it was “a small percentage of our total customers,” in a statement to Geek Wire, which first reported the incident.

When it reported the breach to the California Attorney General’s Office, Big Fish included a form letter — presumably sent to those affected by the breach — indicating the breach occurred between Dec. 24, 2014, and Jan. 8, 2015. Customers’ names, addresses, credit card numbers, card expiration dates and card security codes may have been compromised.

Gamers who suspect they may have been caught up in this attack should check their credit or debit card statements (whatever form of payment stored with Big Fish) for signs of unauthorized activity. Rather than wait to react to potential fraud, you could contact your card issuer and ask for a replacement, rendering the stolen card data invalid and useless. Of course, an identity thief could use your name and address for other fraud efforts, but at least you can make a phone call to eliminate the risk of dealing with unauthorized transactions.

If a thief goes on a shopping spree with your payment card, you’re unlikely to be liable for all (or any) of the charges, but it depends on how quickly you report the incident, and fraud protections vary between credit and debit cards. If your debit card data was stolen, the thief could drain your bank account and set off a chain reaction of financial damage, which can take a while to correct.

Checking your credit reports (you can get a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus) and scores regularly can also help you spot potential fraud. A big, unexplained change in your credit scores (you can check two of your credit scores for free on Credit.com) or an account you don’t recognize on your credit report could tip you off that your personal data is being misused.