News Story
Data leaked on mixi game users
Tuesday November 03, 2009 18:15:10 EST
A system bug in a popular farming game on the mixi social networking site led to personal details of as many as 4,200 users being leaked online, it has been learned.
Phone numbers and e-mail addresses of users who made credit card purchases of special items in the Sunshine Bokujo (Sunshine stock farm) game were leaked between Oct. 21 and 23, according to mixi, Inc.
Mixi plans to review the screening system of the game, which has about 2.3 million users on platforms such as personal computers and cell phones.
"We're dealing seriously with the problem," a mixi spokesman said.
Chinese video game company Rekoo Media Ltd. developed and operates the game.
Users create their own farm or stock farm in the game, growing and harvesting vegetables such as eggplants and tomatoes, and raising chickens, goats and other farm animals.
The game was free when it went online in August, but on Oct. 21 a system was introduced to enable users to make credit card purchases of in-game currency. The currency can be used to purchase special game items such as fertilizer that makes vegetables grow quicker and bigger.
However, after the introduction of the payment system, mixi received a deluge of criticism from users, some of whom complained that they did not receive in-game currency they had paid for.
A Rekoo Media internal investigation revealed that records of a total of 380,000 yen worth of items purchased by 80 people had been lost.
Furthermore, the company found that details such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses of 4,200 users who attempted to buy in-game currency with a credit card could be viewed online by third parties.
A bug in the payment system is believed to have caused the problem.
"At this point in time, we've had no reports of this personal information being abused," a mixi spokesman said. "We believe there's next to no chance that ordinary users accidentally viewed this information."
However, the spokesman added, "In the future, we'll review our operations -- especially screening -- when we introduce payment systems."
Recently, there has been a spate of cases in which children purchased expensive items for "free" cell phone and other games without the knowledge of their parents or guardians.
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