Hello Kitty Hacked -- And Not By Hairballs

Sanrio Co., the Japanese owner of the Hello Kitty cartoon character, is investigating whether the data of more than 6,000 shareholders has been leaked.

The information may include the names, addresses and phone numbers of as many as 6,249 shareholders who participated in an online rewards program, the Tokyo-based retail and licensing company said in a statement Wednesday. Sanrio started investigating after learning that some participants in the program received investment offers from a third party who shouldn’t have had access to their information.