PS3 gamers may have had cash stolen from their online wallets, Sony has warned. They may also have had their passwords changed by hackers and personal information taken, the games giant admitted on Thursday.

Sony said it found that hackers might have gained access to its PlayStation Store, a part of the PlayStation Network, which offers downloadable games for sale. Although it said information theft and financial theft from users' online wallets was possible, it claimed that credit card theft was "very unlikely", as user accounts did not display entire credit card numbers.

The company said it has now restored system security and that it is contacting affected customers. It urged customers to log in to their accounts to check their password hadn't been changed.

It said if their password still worked, they hadn't been affected, implying that if the password didn't work there was a case for mild panic and the frantic checking of one's wallet.

As Sony shipped 280,000 PS3s last month, this is set to be an embarrassing admission and certainly won't instil confidence among gamers. ®

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