Nintendo Switch data leak exposes 160,000 users by impersonating NNID

Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite Source: Rebecca Spear / iMore

What you need to know

160,000 Nintendo Accounts were accessed by hackers impersonating the Nintendo Network ID (NNID).
Because of this, Nintendo will no longer allow people to log in using NNID.
Affected users will be notified by email and their Nintendo passwords reset.
Nintendo recommends users set up two-step verification on their Nintendo accounts.

This morning, Nintendo reported that the Nintendo Network ID (NNID) was impersonated by hackers to access 160,000 Nintendo accounts since the beginning of April. NNIDs were mainly used for the Wii U and 3DS handheld gaming systems. This data leak exposed some users' date of birth, email addresses, country, and nicknames.

Nintendo warns that if you used the same password for NNID and your Nintendo account that your registered credit card or PayPal information may have been used to make purchases on My Nintendo Store or the Nintendo eShop. In some cases, it's also possible that this breach allowed the hackers to buy Fortnite VBucks or make other in-game purchases.

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Due to this breach, Nintendo has "abolished the function of logging in to a Nintendo account via NNID." The Japanese gaming company states that affected users will receive an email notifying them of the breach and instructing them to reset their passwords. Nintendo further urges users to set up two-factor authentication for their Nintendo accounts to better protect their personal information from hackers.