Nintendo Wants Fans to Be Wary of Fake Websites Selling Cheap Switch Consoles
Nintendo is warning the gaming community not to purchase cheap Switch consoles from fake websites. The company has singled out one website in particularly for illegally using their logo. This fake shop has apparently been pretending to be an official Nintendo retailer.
“We have confirmed the existence of a fake site that impersonates the Nintendo homepage,” the company wrote in a statement. “These fake sites have nothing to do with us.”
“Purchasing products on fake sites may result in fraudulent damage, such as unauthorized acquisition of personal information,” Nintendo wrote. “Please be careful not to mistake it for our website, and do not purchase products from fake websites.”
This fake website has been selling various Nintendo devices, such as the Switch, at “significantly discounted” prices. Despite the warning, Nintendo did not share any link to the website or even provide information about its URL.
At the moment, there is such a high demand for all Switch consoles. With that said, it is highly unlikely that authorized resellers are going to substantially discount the original Switch, OLED Switch, and Switch Lite. The only time there will be a discount will probably when there is a bundle that includes a free game or something of that sort. Other than that, gamers can expect to have to pay the full price for a new device.
It remains unclear if this issue is limited to the Japanese Switch market only, or if it is now a worldwide problem. Regardless, it is best to exercise caution when dealing with unfamiliar websites—especially ones that purport to be Nintendo. The company has reminded fans to be wary of any retail listing that sells Switch consoles for less than $299.
In addition to Nintendo’s warning for Switch fans to be careful, they also confirmed that they are going to notify the authorities whenever fake websites are discovered.
Will you risk it? Let us know in the comments below.