Nintendo has disabled the ability to log into a Nintendo Account through a Nintendo Network ID (NNID) following 160,000 accounts suffering from a recent hack.
The Japanese gaming giant says login IDs and passwords “obtained illegally by means other than our service” have been used since the start of April to gain access to these accounts. Personal information such as date of birth, country, email address and nicknames may have been accessed, with some accounts experiencing fraudulent transactions. Nintendo says that all users should enable two-factor authentication on their Nintendo Network accounts.
The accounts included in the breach likely featured passwords also used on other platforms, similar to the McDonald’s mobile ordering app hack that was so prevalent last year. I was a victim of this hack and over $2,000 worth of McDonald’s food was purchased with my account.
If your Nintendo Account is affected by the hack, you’ll receive a password reset notification from Nintendo as well as an email stating that your account has been compromised. The company is also disabling the ability to log into Nintendo Accounts through a Nintendo Network ID. This form of account was used for the 3DS and Wii U, with the Switch moving to the company’s newer Nintendo Account system. Until now, a NNID could still be used to log into a Nintendo Account system.
Further, Nintendo recommends that if you used the same password for your NNID as you did for your Nintendo Account, you should reset it. Finally, Nintendo is asking affected users to contact the company so it can investigate the purchase history and cancel any fraudulent transactions.
Reports emerged earlier this week regarding fraudulent Fornite ‘VBucks’ transactions appearing on some Nintendo Accounts. At the time, the company said it was “investigating” these reports of accounts being breached.
How to check if your account was compromised
I have a NNID account linked to my newer Nintendo Account system but thankfully my information doesn’t seem to have been compromised. To check your purchase history, navigate to my.nintendo.com. Next, click on your account name in the top right corner of the screen and then select ‘Account Settings.’ Now, select ‘Shop Menu’ and then ‘Transaction History’ on the next screen.
Two-factor authentication is available under the ‘Sign-in and security settings’ of your Nintendo account.
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