Don’t let those discounted games fool you. Nintendo is warning gamers of fake websites potentially scamming gamers under its name.
The company released a statement (translated by Siliconera) confirming the existence of a fake website impersonating Nintendo and using its official logo illegally to sell Nintendo products — like games and even the Nintendo Switch — at significantly discounted prices. It warns that people purchasing games and/or consoles through the fake Nintendo website or others like it can fall victim to fraud, as they would be giving personal and financial information to an unauthorized site.
Nintendo has further warned people not to confuse the fraudulent website with the real one. Hence, its statement redirected users to the official Nintendo website instead of the fake one.
Additionally, Nintendo has stated that if websites similar to the one in question are discovered, it will notify the proper authorities to take them down. The company has also said that if you suffered any fraudulent damages after purchasing products from the fake website, report it to the police or the cybercrimes consultations desk.
As of this writing, it is unclear how many people have been affected by fraud after visiting the fake Nintendo website. Moreover, since the statement came from the Japanese branch of Nintendo, it is unknown if the fake website has reached people living outside of Japan.
If you live in the United States and have been affected by the scam, you may file a report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
