Warning issued to Playstation users

The Department of Internal Affairs is warning gamers to beware of scams after hackers stole personal details from up to 77 million users of Sony's online Playstation Network.

The electronics company this week said personal account information - including names, addresses, birthdates, email addresses, log-in details and possibly credit card data - had been stolen in an illegal and unauthorised intrusion of its network.

In a blog post today, Sony said all credit card data had been encrypted and there was no direct evidence the data had been stolen.

Internal Affairs spokesman Mike Hill said the breach meant scammers knew a lot of sensitive information about anyone registered with Sony.

"This provides them with a fertile field for their scams so we are advising people to be particularly vigilant of anyone contacting them using this information," he said.

"Scammers will do anything to rip you off, so it's important to be aware of the different kinds of scams circulating - especially if you use email or a mobile phone. Be suspicious - any offer that sounds too good to be true probably is, so don't be fooled!"