The accounts of "high-profile" Microsoft employees working on the Xbox Live platform have had their accounts compromised and allegedly sold by hackers, reports The Verge.

The hackers used employees' social security numbers and "some social engineering" to obtain access to Xbox Live accounts belonging to both current and former Microsoft employees.

Microsoft told The Verge it does not utilize social security numbers for Xbox Live accounts, and the numbers may have been used to obtain additional information from third parties that allowed hackers access to the accounts.

"We are aware that a group of attackers are using several stringed social engineering techniques to compromise the accounts of a handful of high-profile Xbox LIVE accounts held by current and former Microsoft employees," Microsoft wrote in a statement. "We are actively working with law enforcement and other affected companies to disable this current method of attack and prevent its further use. Security is of critical importance to us and we are working every day to bring new forms of protection to our members."

Microsoft urges Xbox Live users to review the platform's account security information and take steps to implement recommended security proofs.