Many people will be looking for a deal this holiday season and scammers are taking advantage of the demand for pricey gaming consoles by promoting fake deals for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and other in-demand systems. This is why you must watch out for video game scams online!
Your search for a popular gaming console for sale online is successful and you find one at a reduced price. Hoping to save some money, you research the seller’s website and find a couple of positive reviews. Convinced, you make your purchase via PayPal or another online payment method. You receive an email confirmation with shipping information and a tracking number.
If you receive a package at all from the company, you can be sure it is not a gaming console. Instead, it is a valueless phone cover or similar small object. Here's the problem. Since you technically received a shipment, you will be unable to contest the purchase with the third party who processed the payment.
Trying to get in contact with the company is useless. No one answers your phone calls or emails. One consumer who never received any package reported to BBB.org/ScamTracker: “I attempted to reach out to the email address on their website, however, I received an email informing me that it was not a valid email address. I then attempted to call the phone number listed on the website, [which gave me] an automatic message informing me that the number was not valid.”
If you liked this content, be sure to sign up for our Reis Tech Tips newsletter, which provides expert advice on cybersecurity and managed IT services, delivered directly to your inbox each week. Subscribe here.
For more information about Reis Informatica's cybersecurity services, contact us here and make sure you schedule your Complimentary Christmas Consultation!