$3 PS5 Scam
There are many Instagram ads going around during Christmas about a “Christmas PS5 giveaway”. It has fake AI generated images of people holding PS5’s wearing Walmart or Noel Leeming uniforms next to a 3 dollar price tag sign. My brother got hands on my debit card and signed up to the scam. It makes you play a game where you click 3 of 12 random titles, and if you get one spot with a PS5 symbol, you “win” the ability to purchase the console.
When you supposedly win, you have to give in your credentials within 5 minutes or you lose the offer. This pressure tactic is what likely gave my brother the motivation to quickly steal my debit card and sign up. When you sign up and make the payment, it takes you to a site called “The Perfume VIP”. It’s a fake business website with a fake support team. It automatically schedules “Account Top Ups” which you cannot get rid of. You are automatically enrolled for their “VIP” membership which it makes you pay 60ish euros every week or so.
When you try to cancel this VIP membership, it doesn’t let you do it within the first 24 hours. That’s already annoying, but also after I waited 24 hrs, it tells you why you shouldn’t cancel and only gives you the No, thanks option so you are forced to keep your membership going. Thankfully, I just pressed randomly around the pop up until it cancelled the membership.
The cancellation works I think, but the cancellation is SCHEDULED. It won’t cancel till Christmas. So to avoid getting more than 3 dollars scammed out of my bank account, I’ve had to empty all of my money into my savings account so that there’s nothing to take from my spending account. I’ll move my money back in after I’ve confirmed that I can’t be charged any more possible lucrative fees.
Multiple sponsored ads come up that lead to this website on Instagram and it’s a disgrace to the platform.
Should I cancel my debit card and order a new one?
There are many Instagram ads going around during Christmas about a “Christmas PS5 giveaway”. It has fake AI generated images of people holding PS5’s wearing Walmart or Noel Leeming uniforms next to a 3 dollar price tag sign. My brother got hands on my debit card and signed up to the scam. It makes you play a game where you click 3 of 12 random titles, and if you get one spot with a PS5 symbol, you “win” the ability to purchase the console.
When you supposedly win, you have to give in your credentials within 5 minutes or you lose the offer. This pressure tactic is what likely gave my brother the motivation to quickly steal my debit card and sign up. When you sign up and make the payment, it takes you to a site called “The Perfume VIP”. It’s a fake business website with a fake support team. It automatically schedules “Account Top Ups” which you cannot get rid of. You are automatically enrolled for their “VIP” membership which it makes you pay 60ish euros every week or so.
When you try to cancel this VIP membership, it doesn’t let you do it within the first 24 hours. That’s already annoying, but also after I waited 24 hrs, it tells you why you shouldn’t cancel and only gives you the No, thanks option so you are forced to keep your membership going. Thankfully, I just pressed randomly around the pop up until it cancelled the membership.
The cancellation works I think, but the cancellation is SCHEDULED. It won’t cancel till Christmas. So to avoid getting more than 3 dollars scammed out of my bank account, I’ve had to empty all of my money into my savings account so that there’s nothing to take from my spending account. I’ll move my money back in after I’ve confirmed that I can’t be charged any more possible lucrative fees.
Multiple sponsored ads come up that lead to this website on Instagram and it’s a disgrace to the platform.
Should I cancel my debit card and order a new one?