Nintendo Switch Online Scams On The Rise
With many Singaporeans under quarantine, Stay-Home Notice, Leave Of Absence and working from home, most citizens are now house-bound. Although there’s no place like home, we have to admit that it can get a little boring after a while.
As such, some citizens have taken to purchasing Nintendo Switch consoles to make this homebody phase more bearable — or to play the recently released Animal Crossing game.
But take heed, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a public service announcement for citizens to beware of online scams involving the console.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (2 Apr), the SPF noted a rise in online Nintendo Switch scams, and advised citizens to be cautious when purchasing items online.
3 tips from SPF to stay safe from scams
The SPF also helpfully provided 3 tips to mitigate risk when it comes to online purchases.
Netizens should:
- Buy from established sources, especially for items that you know cost a significant amount. Hot deals that are “too good to be true” are likely to be scams.
- Check if a seller is credible through ratings or reviews, as well as how long they have been around.
- Choose platforms that offer protection for buyers and permit payment on delivery instead of transferring funds through the bank.
Hopefully, these tips can help decrease the number of people who fall victim to online scammers, which are a dime a dozen nowadays.
Keeping our wits about us at all times
While the SPF left us tips to reduce the risk of getting scammed while buying home entertainment products, the same level of prudence should be practised with all online purchases.
So, all future owners of Nintendo Switch consoles, as well as all other online shoppers, should be on the lookout for potential scammers.
If you come across any, flag and report them to the authorities.
Let’s keep our cyberspace safe so we can continue to shop online from the comfort of our own homes.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
