PS5 Scams Targeting Shoppers — What to Look For

PS5 Scams Targeting Shoppers — What to Look For

With the PS5 sold out everywhere and the console selling for exorbitant prices on eBay, prospective buyers may be getting a little desperate.

Scammers know this, and according to a new survey by security giant Kaspersky, they are already taking full advantage. The company says it detected about 130 suspicious websites containing the word "PlayStation" in October alone, and that number is growing rapidly.

The researchers note that the scam is spreading worldwide and is not targeting any particular region or country. In most cases, suspicious sites lured visitors to pre-order PS5s by paying in advance or leaving personal information that could be directly misused or sold to other criminals.

Other PS5 scams were more obvious, with websites offering prices below the official MSRP of the console, which is out of stock everywhere, simply cannot be trusted. On the other hand, some were a bit more sneaky: rather than claiming to have the PS5 in stock, some scam websites pretended to be shipping PS4s at a lower price for the new console.

But no matter which version of the scam was presented, the result was the same. [Kaspersky security expert Tatyana Sidorina said, "We want to remind users that if something on the Internet looks too good to be true, it probably is a scam." [Messages about sales or pre-orders should be verified by a trusted source, and we recommend that users do not click on links in suspicious emails, messengers, or messages on social networks. It is also recommended that security solutions with up-to-date databases on phishing and spam resources be implemented.

Kaspersky does not specifically mention that the Xbox Series X is being targeted in a similar manner, but it stands to reason that criminals are also targeting the Xbox Series X. As with the PS5, trying to pre-order an Xbox Series X can be a frustrating experience for would-be early adopters

If you're a gamer, you're going to want to get your hands on an Xbox Series X.

If you're still looking for that elusive console, we're here to help: we've documented where you can buy the PS5 and where you can safely get the Xbox Series X, so bookmark these pages if you're looking for it! .

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