The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has told users to change their passwords after hackers tried to access PlayNow accounts using stolen login details from other sites. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has warned users of its PlayNow online gambling platform that hackers attempted to access accounts using stolen passwords.

It noticed a suspiciously large level of traffic on July 24, which programmers confirmed was a result of “credential stuffing.” This is an approach that attackers use to try to see if the email and password combinations they stole or that got leaked from a site will access accounts on other websites.

BCLC has asked users to change their passwords

The BCLC has asked users to change their passwords, as many people use the same combinations across different platforms. It’s not just an issue for individuals in British Columbia, as the BCLC also operates in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Talking about the matter, BCLC President Pat Davis said that the investigation is continuing and was a “deeply concerning incident.” He reassured people that it does not appear that hackers accessed the PlayNow system or stole any login information.

The operator immediately locked any accounts the hackers accessed, contacted the individuals, and blocked any further suspicious-looking traffic.