Los Angeles Lakers co-owner, Jeanie Buss, has fallen victim to a PlayStation 5 scam. Given the high demand for PS5 consoles, it has become a scammer haven. The PS5 is one of the most lucrative pieces of technology on the market right now despite releasing nearly two years ago. When it launched, people would scalp multiple consoles and flip them for a significant profit, making it incredibly difficult to get the console. Eventually, scammers began to realize that some people were so desperate to buy these second-hand PS5 consoles that they began to offer them through social media, only to take the money and run. One of the easiest ways to trick people was by stealing a verified user’s account.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, had her account hijacked by one of these scammers. At the time, a scammer posted from her account and stated that users could DM them to purchase one of three PlayStation 5 consoles and even have a chance to attend a Lakers game. To top it all off, the proceeds would be donated to an undisclosed charity. Truly a great deal, but of course, one that’s too good to be true. The official Lakers Twitter account pushed a message from Buss telling fans not to send any money to the scammers. “”Lakers Fans, my Twitter account has been hacked,” said Buss via the Lakers Twitter. “Please do not engage with it or send any money. These are NOT legitimate offers. The Lakers will alert you when I am back in control of my account.” Some fans messaged the account to mess with the scammer, even trying to negotiate to get Russell Westbrook off the team in the process. It appears Buss now has her account back, thankfully.
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As always, be mindful of these kinds of scams. There are pretty frequent PS5 restocks at GameStop if you still want one and it’s better to buy through a trusted retailer than through someone on social media who can disappear without a trace. Even if they’re verified, they can still be a scammer.
Have you seen any other celebrities fall victim to one of these scams? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
[H/T Kotaku]
