- Sony’s newly-launched PS5 console remains in short supply after selling out across the world.
- Scalpers are selling the console for extortionate prices on auction sites.
- Unsuspecting bidders are being scammed into purchasing photos of the console and empty packaging.
As millions continue to pine for one of Sony’s elusive PS5 console, eBay is awash with a new brand of scam.
If it wasn’t bad enough that would-be owners must contend with forking out inordinately high sums for the console, a growing number of listings purporting to sell the PS5 misleadingly don’t include the console at all.
Instead, many of these shady listings will bag you a photo of the console, or ever so slightly better, an empty PS5 box, in most cases for an exorbitant price.
While most of the listing descriptions mention what potential bidders will receive in the post, the idea is to trick people, swept up in the hype, to spend their hard-earned cash on a comparatively underwhelming item unwittingly.
Many Falling For Latest PS5 Scam
If we discount a handful of people with a genuine, albeit peculiar, desire to own a photo of the PS5 or empty packaging, the scam appears to be working as evidenced by active listings featuring a healthy number of bids
One such listing features no less than 19 bids as of writing, lifting the price to £570, all for an A4-sized photo of the PS5 Digital Edition.
Other listings are attempting to farm donations to muster up enough funds to buy a PS5. One parent is auctioning off a note to Santa allegedly penned by their son asking for a PS5 for Christmas. The intent being to raise money to buy the console.
The description reads:
“Sony PlayStation 5 PS5 DISC please read this description below ( note for sale )
This is what my son as left me on the table last night ,
I am not one to ask for much , but I can’t not get a ps5 or afford the prices on eBay .
So if you or anyone can donate a ps5 or help out with buying one on eBay it would be much appreciated .
The winning buy will receive the note.”
Last week, Sony described the PS5 as its ‘biggest’ console launch ever, noting unprecedented demand and advising that retailers will receive more stock before the year’s out.
With the demand as it is, it’s safe to expect most of this limited stock will be bought within minutes, in part by organized reseller groups such as the one boasting £1 million profit from flipping bot-secured PS5s.