A scam has been taking advantage of the fact that Nintendo has been tight-lipped about its upcoming platform, the Nintendo Switch. People out for any information may be led to scam websites like the following two.
Signing up to either betanintendo.us or beta.nintendo-eu.com will give you this message:
“PREPARE FOR REVOLUTION
Congratulation! You are eligible to join the Nintendo Switch™ Beta Program! You are chosen, which means you can get into the Nintendo Switch Beta!
You will receive the Nintendo Switch Beta Hardware which includes 1 System, 1 Docking Station, 2 Switch Controller (Left and Right) HDMI cable, 1 power adaptor, as well as instruction booklet.
Below, you will find a code to redeem. Please note: This code is specifically for your account, so do not share this with anyone.”
They do in fact give out a 16-digit code, but instead of the format Nintendo uses, a mix of numbers and letters, this code is all numbers — another red flag if the email’s poor grammar didn’t tip you off. The email links you to another site to enter the code, a BAD idea all around.
A closer look reveals both website domains are not actually registered to Nintendo. They belong to some guy linked to about 267 other domains. Yep. This is definitely a scam.
There are a few key things to keep in mind when things like this pop up. Nintendo has not officially announced any information on a Beta version of the Switch. Anything official will be found on the domains nintendo-europe.com, nintendo.co.uk, and nintendo.com.
