Hackers steal Apple App Store account IDs, passwords to make illicit purchases
At least 50 customer complaints have been posted to discussion boards on Apple Inc.'s Japanese App Store claiming their accounts have been hacked to make illicit purchases for a Chinese-made game.
The majority of the customers' complaints state that their Apple IDs and passwords had been used to buy in-game items for Mingzhu Sanguo OL -- a game app released in Chinese on April 23 and free for download -- with thousands of yen subtracted from money the victims had on their game accounts for later use. Many of the complaints were posted in July, suggesting a growing problem.
Some have suggested the thefts were committed by the "Anonymous" international hacker group, which made headlines earlier this year when it stole information on more than 100 million Sony Corp. customers. The group also hacked into Apple's website at the beginning of July, posting the IDs and passwords of 27 customers online.
"We are confirming the details of the situation," an Apple Japan representative stated.
