Phishing scans are not unique to the Xbox 360. They aren't even unique to game consoles. Anytime you connect to the internet, your passwords, your info. and your credit cards could be at risk.
According to British tabloid The Sun (I know!), con artists are going after gamers. Crooks are sending out emails, directing people to phony websites that offer free Microsoft Points to use on Xbox Live.
"Victims then enter personal details which let criminals access accounts and get hold of credit card information," wrote The Sun. "Crooks take small amounts from credit cards over several weeks—making them hard to detect."
Other cons include befriending people on Xbox Live, and then asking them for personal details. The Sun described other victims that were locked out of their accounts, because their passwords were stolen.
While stuff like this is bad news, all of these cons sound like cons you'd find anywhere on the internet. But The Sun in an "exclusive" said Xbox Live brass spent the evening working so Xbox Live players don't fall victim to fraud.
Kotaku is following up with Microsoft.
Gamers caught in Xbox cyber fraud [The Sun]
(Top photo: Frank Augstein | AP)
You can contact Brian Ashcraft, the author of this post, at bashcraft@kotaku.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.