Microsoft is investigating possible fraud on its Xbox Live online gaming service, the company said Tuesday.
The investigation comes after gamers reported having their Xbox Live accounts hijacked and their credit cards used to buy "Microsoft Points," the virtual currency on Xbox Live, which has more than 6 million users.
"Recently, there have been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox Live network," a Microsoft representative said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. "Security is a top priority for Xbox Live, and we are actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft."
Gamers have been reporting the incidents for some time in online forums--including on Xbox.com--and to Microsoft's Xbox help desk. Many users of the Microsoft console have been frustrated with the software giant's response to date.
While some users believe the security of Xbox Live was breached, others suggest that users were tricked into giving up enough information while in a game so fraudsters could call Microsoft to change the account information. Users may also have been duped into giving up their account information through phishing scams.
