A common PS5 scam is doing the rounds yet again on Facebook, narrating a tragic tale and seeking to dupe users by using Sony’s latest generation gaming console as bait. The latter, which even today remains in very limited supplies in many parts of the world, appears to be the perfect bait for such a scam – with so many people around the world still looking to find a way to get their hands on it. Now, the scam promises a “free” PS5 to users in exchange for – wait for it – absolutely nothing.
PS5 Scam: How it Works
As they say in the security space, if something about an online deal sounds too good to be true, that is because it probably is so. The said PS5 scam works by users posting the same message, mostly targeting public groups rather than individual accounts, stating that the person’s daughter died on the way back from college one day, after being struck down by a speeding car. The person in question then goes on to say that they had purchased a PlayStation 5 to surprise their daughter, but now, with the said daughter not being alive any more, the person wants to give away the PS5 because seeing it brings the person down to tears.
The sequence of the story itself has all the essential red flags that remind of the infamous phishing scams from princes being stuck at customs and borders, and needing strangers to send foreign currencies – with a return promise of providing millions of dollars in return.
The PS5 scam in question has multiple red flags – for one, simply searching for the exact text of this post on Facebook will show users how multiple users appear to have had the same tragedy at the same time, and reveal images that show that they had bought the same PS5 for their apparent daughters.
While this is a fairly basic phishing scam to fall for, it is important to note that such scams are persistent, and users may be tricked into communicating with these sellers. The latter typically say that the device is free, but a shipping fee will be required from the receiver’s end. Once this fee is paid, the sellers quickly disappear without a trace.
This is not a new scam, and had previously appeared in the guise of a son’s death, Reddit posts reveal. Users on Reddit have also spoken about other PS5 scam tactics, most of which involve similar attempts to bait users.
