Nintendo issued a warning of multiple sites impersonating the Japanese company’s official web.
According to a statement by the company, there are several sites offering discounts for the Nintendo Switch gaming console.
“The confirmed fake sites use our logo illegally, making it look as if it is operated by us, and offers our products such as Nintendo Switch at a significantly discounted price,” reads the statement.
The worst part, however, is not the fake discounts. Users who bought anything from such sites might lose their funds as well as payment card data.
“Purchasing products on fake sites may result in the unauthorized acquisition of personal information. Please be careful not to mistake it for our website, and do not purchase products from fake websites,” Nintendo warned.
The company also advised all victims to contact a local Japan police station or a cybercrime unit.
The company does not indicate what links were used to scam the victims or how many were lured into using the fake discounts on bogus sites. Nor did it say what sort of data customers might have revealed to fraudsters.
However, generic payment systems require the buyer to provide a billing address and payment card details. A scammer can use this information to steal funds or sell the data further down the line.
With people spending more time indoors and global supply chains affected by a microchip shortage, gaming consoles have been in high demand. Scammers use this to their advantage, luring victims with fake discounts.
Launched in the late 19th century, Nintendo started as a playing cards maker. The company started in the video game market in 1977 and gained fame with games like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros.
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