Nintendo Issue Statement On Hacked Switch Accounts
This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.
Earlier this month, Nintendo Japan reported that it was receiving a higher number of support requests from people who had had their Nintendo Accounts accessed (and attached credit cards used) by an unauthorised third party. There have now been a number of reports on Twitter and Resetera of Switch owners experiencing this unauthorised access.
Nintendo have now acknowledged the reports in a statement to VGC. It reads as follows:
“We are aware of reports of unauthorized access to some Nintendo Accounts and we are investigating the situation. In the meantime, we recommend that users enable two-step verification for their Nintendo Account as instructed here.
“If any users become aware of unauthorized activity, we encourage them to take the steps outlined at https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Nintendo-Account/Nintendo-Account-Recovery-Process-1658054.html or visit https://support.nintendo.com for general support.”
The two-step verification uses the free Google Authenticator app which is available on iOS and Android devices. Nintendo have been encouraging people to activate it in a recent campaign too, no doubt in response to the initial uptick in support requests they had been receiving.
It only takes a couple of minutes out of your day and ensures your details and financial information are secure, so we’d highly recommend you follow the steps laid out here:
How To Activate Two-Step Verification On My Nintendo Switch
Go to the Nintendo Account website and sign in to your Nintendo Account.
Select Sign-in and security settings, then scroll down to 2-Step Verification and click Edit.
Click 2-Step Verification settings.
Click Send email to have a verification code sent to the email address on file.
If the email address is incorrect, click the Email address menu setting under User Info to change it.
Enter the verification code from the email, then Submit.
Install the Google Authenticator app on your smart device.
This is a free app, available through Google Play (Android) and the App Store (iOS).
Use the smart device app to scan the QR code displayed on your Nintendo Account screen.
A 6-digit verification code will appear on your smart device. Enter the verification code into the field under step 3 on the Nintendo Account screen, then Submit.
A list of backup codes will appear. Click Copy to copy all the codes, then paste them somewhere safe.
A backup code will be required to log in if you don’t have access to the Google Authenticator app. MAKE SURE TO KEEP THESE SOMEWHERE SAFE.
You can use these (one time each) if you do not have access to the Google Authenticator app.
Click I have saved the backup codes, then OK.
Once set, you can return to the 2-step verification settings section to review the backup codes and remove the 2-step restriction.
Source: VGC, via Nintendo Life