It wasn"t long after news of the Playstation Network being hacked broke that Sony promised to give each user free access to an identity theft protection service and now it seems they"ve kept their word, at least for US customers.
An email is currently being sent out to all US PSN account holders letting them know that they can now grab their free AllClear ID PLUS subscription, from Debix:
Identity Theft Protection Offer for PlayStation®Network and Qriocity™ Customers
Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment have made arrangements with Debix to offer AllClear ID PLUS to eligible PlayStation®Network and Qriocity account holders in the United States who are concerned about identity theft.
AllClear ID PLUS is a premium identity protection service that uses advanced technology to deliver alerts to help protect you from identity theft. The service also provides identity theft insurance coverage and hands-on help from expert fraud investigators.
Sony has arranged, at no charge to eligible PlayStation®Network and Qriocity account holders, for twelve months of this service to be provided by Debix to those who choose to enroll. In order to be eligible, account holders must be residents of the United States with active accounts as of April 20, 2011.
If interested, please submit your email address by June 28, 2011, at 11:59:59 PM CST at: us.playstation.com/news/consumeralerts/identity-theft-protection.
Please note, you must enter the same email address used to register your PlayStation®Network or Qriocity account. Once your email address is validated, you will be sent your AllClear ID PLUS activation code.
Sincerely,
Sony Computer Entertainment & Sony Network Entertainment
If you live in the US and have a PSN account, you don"t need to wait for the email, you can just go straight here, but you must ensure that the email address you use is the same one used by your PSN account.
There"s still no word as to when other territories are getting their ID theft protection, but rest assured it is bound to hit soon. As Sony has already stated, identity theft is handled differently around the world, with different firms operating in different places meaning deals will have to be done more or less on a country-by-country basis.