Scammer targets PS5 pre-orders in South Africa

If 2020 wasn’t enough of a lesson on why we can’t have nice things, a scammer is targeting people in South Africa attempting to pre-order the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console.

Earlier this month, Sony announced the price and launch date for the PS5 consoles in South Africa.

Pre-orders for the PS5 opened up earlier this month, along with pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles.

However, Koodoo, the e-commerce platform for local PlayStation distributor Gamefinity, has noted that a fraudster is posing as the company on WhatsApp.

“It has been brought to our attention that a fraudster is fronting on Whatsapp, and potentially other social media applications, as being from Koodoo and falsely taking pre-orders on PS5’s,” the retailer said on its website.

“Please be advised that unless you are buying directly from our e-commerce store and using the trusted payment options available to you on the site, you are being scammed,” it added.

At the time of writing, both the standard and digital versions of the PS5 were sold out.

However, accessories such as the PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller and PS5 HD Camera are still available.

The PS5 will launch in South Africa on 19 November. For those who’ve pre-ordered, the PS5 will arrive at their door on launch day according to the site.

Good Morning,

The release would be the 19th of November, so you should receive your order on the day.

Kind Regards
The KOODOO team

— KOODOO (@Koodoo_sa) September 21, 2020

 

BT Games and Takealot also offered PS5 pre-orders, however their stock also appears to be sold out.

When the console officially launches locally, a wider array of websites will likely carry stock.

If you want to order the console, make sure to do it from a reputable website using secure payment methods.

Feature image: Sony