Scammers Targeting Gamers With Fake Gaming Console Scam

With hot new gaming consoles hitting the market often, it's not a huge surprise scammers are taking aim at those trying to get their hands on one.

The Better Business Bureau issued an alert to gamers on Friday (November 20th), warning of a new scam that promises great deals on the biggest new gaming consoles of the moment. The only problem is that these supposed deals are completely made up.

Here's how the scam works: scammers post these deals online, offering up big savings for a gaming console. They even go as far as to create a fake website with fraudulent reviews to make the scam seem legitimate.

From there, because the website seems legitimate, you purchase the console online and even receive a confirmation number for your order. When it arrives, it is not the gaming console promised, but instead a phone cover and / or another small object.

You may think it will be easy to get your money back but this is where scammers really get you. Because you did receive a shipment and you paid using a third party like PayPal, you won't be able to get your money back. You also can't get your money back from the scammers, as the contact information they have on their website is fake.

With so many of us doing holiday shopping this year, make sure you use caution when purchasing things online. The BBB suggests researching any company you aren't familiar with when contemplating a purchase. Sadly, they also say you shouldn't believe prices that are too good to be true.

This isn't the only "toy" scam going on this holiday season. In fact, there is a very similar scam to the one mentioned above. Scammers offer up toys that are out of stock everywhere or hard to find. Scammers create legitimate-looking websites where people purchase the toy and in turn receive something else. Be careful this holiday season!