We’ve received reports from multiple users that they have lost access to their PSN account, including our very own Senior Team member Greg Giddens.

In each case the users received emails from Sony informing them that their account’s registered email address had been changed. Furthermore, when trying to access their accounts on PSN, there email address was no longer accepted as a valid address for a PSN account.

This is worrying because the PSN recovery system stores PSN account email addresses even after the registered address is changed, so to combat precisely this kind of email changing security breach. However, for the email address to no longer be valid suggests the PSN account has been deleted.

Whilst a few users reporting issues doesn’t suggest the kind of security breach to PSN that we saw back in 2011, Twitter reveals that the issue may be far more widespread than a mere few users. PlayStation’s support Twitter account has received hundreds of tweets regarding PSN accounts being compromised over the last 48 hours. Meanwhile, an email from PlayStation support has confirmed that they are “currently experiencing high contact volumes” from people with PSN issues.

Right now we simply don’t know if UK PSN accounts were compromised at Sony’s end, whether user details were compromised elsewhere and that data was used to access these users PSN accounts on a wide scale, or if something else is going on entirely. Unfortunately Sony have a rough track record of informing their user-base of security issues, but when we find out more, we’ll let you know.

For now we’re recommend changing your password if you have a PSN account, and please ensure that same password isn’t used elsewhere in case that too is compromised as a result.

Update:

Things seem to be calming down regarding security concerns over PSN. We’ve now received reports of users retrieving their lost accounts after a short call with PSN support. This includes a now very relieved senior editor of ours.

The word is , after waiting on the line for an average of ten minutes, users who have had their account go walkabouts have been able to retrieve them with PlayStation support’s help. However, wallet funds have gone missing in many cases and credit cards used to buy games. FIFA titles appear to be the most common. PlayStation support have assured those affected that these funds will be reimbursed within 24 hours.

So if you’ve been unlucky enough to have your PSN account compromised, give PlayStation support a call on 0203 538 2665.

WE still haven;t had confirmation on whether their was a security breach or not. It seems unlikely that is was random attacks on users considering the amount of users affected. Hopefully we’ll find out more in the coming days and weeks, but at least for now, things seem to be looking up.