How Cybercriminals are Using the PS5 to Scam Internet Users

Cybercriminals are becoming more and more interested in the PlayStation 5, according to research from Kaspersky. In the period of July – September 2020, almost 150 suspicious web resources around the world included the word ‘PlayStation’ in their names.

The phishing websites were mainly offering the chance to pre-order PlayStation 5 by leaving a prepayment or personal information. On some sites, it was supposedly even possible to purchase a console at a reduced price.

There were also resources where the previous version of the console – PlayStation 4 – was on offer for much lower prices, with the major discounts attributed to the release of PS5.

“We want to remind users that if something looks too good to be true on the Internet, then it’s most probably a scam,” says Tatyana Sidorina, Lead Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.

“Sales and pre-order messages are worth checking with reliable sources. You should not follow links in suspicious emails or messages sent via messaging services or social networks. It’s also a good idea to install a security solution with up-to-date databases of phishing and spam resources.”

Here are four ways to protect against phishing threats:

• Always double-check the URLs of links shared in unexpected messages or those from an unknown sender, to make sure that they are genuine and do not cover another hyperlink that leads to a malicious page or download.
• If you are not sure that a website is genuine and secure, never enter your credentials or personal information. If you think that you may have entered your login and password on a fake page, immediately change your password and call your bank.
• Always use a secure Wi-Fi connection, especially when visiting sensitive websites. Do not use public Wi-Fi without a password. If you are using an insecure connection, cybercriminals can redirect you to phishing pages without your knowledge.
• Use a security solution with behaviour-based anti-phishing technologies which will warn you if you are trying to visit a phishing web page.

Edited by Jenna Delport
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