Nintendo Switch Fraud Is Becoming A Bit Of A Problem

Gamers in Japan who have been scouring retailers and third-party sources for a Nintendo Switch have largely been met with much more than an easy find. Stores can't keep the Switch on the shelves, and as players become more desperate to get their hands on the console, scams and fraudulent sales are becoming all too popular in recent months.

The issues that come from buying a Switch from questionable sources in Japan have even grown to be so significant that TV outlets in the country have begun advising against the dangers of buying a Switch from a source that doesn't seem credible, warning potential consumers that the purchase may very well be too good to be true. That's exactly what happened with a recent situation that's been picking up some traction overseas where a young would-be Switch owner was scammed online while trying to make a quick deal.

In Japan, a young boy recently tried to purchase a Switch through an advertisement that was posted by a relatively new Twitter account that proclaimed they had a Switch for sale at a lower price than what it would typically go for. The price was set at 30,000 yen, or about $270, and the boy was quick to jump on the deal. After buying enough credit in Amazon gift cards and sending over the code to the Twitter user, the account was promptly deleted as the scammer took the money and ran.

For those more wary of online scams, the story is filled with red flags that should've been easy indicators of a scam, but with how popular the Switch is worldwide and specifically in Japan, these scams are exactly the type of fraud that people are falling for.

Fortunately for the kid who was scammed, others took notice of the boy's plight and one individual even went as far as to gift a new Switch to the boy, free of charge.

When players aren't getting scammed in Japan, they're usually waiting in line just for the distant chance at purchasing a Nintendo Switch. That's assuming that they can even find a store that has one, though, something that's becoming increasingly difficult to do.

[via Nintendo Everything]