Sony to offer customers fraud protection

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is to offer 12 months free fraud protection to customers following the recent high-profile attacks on the PlayStation Network.

SCEE has teamed up with identity protection firm Affinion, which operates across 18 markets and handles international data protection for more than 65m members.

Under the partnership, 20 million Sony customers across the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany will be offered a free 12-month membership of Affinion's Fraud Protect programme, which includes credit monitoring, alerts and insurance.

Customers will shortly be sent information from Sony about the identity protection programme, but anyone under the age of 18 will need to consult their parent or guardian before opting into the scheme.

The Fraud Protect service offers members a range of features, including account monitoring and alerts, personal information protection software, insurance cover for expenses incurred during identity restoration and a fraud support hotline.

The offer follows huge controversy about Sony's sluggish response to the major attack by hackers on the PSN Network, which resulted in more than 100m user accounts being exposed to potential data theft.

Sony expects to have the PSN fully restored by the end of May, after certain global regions came back online last week, but it has been estimated that the scandal will cost the company around 14bn yen.

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