Despite the incident the company plans to continue initiative until March

Feb 24, 2012 07:22 GMT  ·  By

Taco Bell has announced that hackers have tampered with a PlayStation Vita promotion it was running, resulting in a number of customers who were unable to pick up their new handheld despite apparently being entitled to one.

A statement from the fast food chain states, “We have learned that during a short period of time on January 30th, some people entering our Unlock the Box promotion erroneously received a message suggesting they had won a PlayStation Vita, pending verification.”

It adds, “After a thorough investigation, and an additional review by the independent company administering the promotion, it was confirmed that these entrants viewed these messages as a result of others who attempted to gain illegal entry and defraud the system.”

The PlayStation Vita promotion at Taco Bell runs until March 11 and all those who have entered the contest and believed they had won a Sony device have been entered into a second drawing.

In order to enter anyone can pick up a Buck Box and register online using a code they receive, with a Vita winner chosen every quarter of an hour.