GTA 6 pre-order scam warning as game 'sells out' on one website
A scam warning has been issued as imminent news around GTA 6 is expected with parent company Take-Two Interactive set to give us their annual results later this week.
It comes after the internet has gone a little crazy over the suppose Best Buy pre-order window that was meant to have gone live on Monday (18 May), running until Thursday (21 May), the day on which Take Two will host their quarterly earnings call.
But Monday came and Monday went. And pre-sales didn't go live over at Best Buy or any other mainstream retailer such as Amazon or GameStop.
Instead, we're back in to the copium bubble that has stressed gamers out to no end during the two delays that GTA 6 has endured so far. At least a third delay looks off the table, with a 19 November release date still on the cards.
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GTA 6 pre-order scam warning
Pre-orders for GTA 6 will go live eventually - maybe even after the update from T2 later this week - but ahead of that, one gaming YouTuber known as Inkslasher has explained what is legit and when you're most likely being taken for a ride. A ride that ends up with you out of pocket and with no GTA 6.
Unfortunately, GTA 6 is being targeted by scammers with fake pre-sales, taking advantage of the enthusiasm people have for the looming game and enticing them in.
As it stands we do not have a price for the game, so as for what you're being charged, it's complete guesswork by these bogus salesmen. That alone should ring alarm bells.
His main advice is to avoid third party sellers, saying: "One of the first articles or posts that I saw about it saying that GTA 6 pre-orders are going live in Denmark. This is a scam.
"If you see any third-party retailers as of right now selling pre-orders, they are fake. Without it being live on PlayStation, Xbox, Best Buy, Walmart, places along those lines, these third-party retailers do not have a way to buy the games, get pre-orders, or even know what is in the collector's editions."
He added that if you have purchased through a third party site, 'you got scammed'. Yikes.
Bogus GTA 6 Amazon listing
As reported by GAMINGbible last year, a bogus GTA 6 pre-order went live on Amazon.
Alarm bells rang after noticing the game was listed in the 'Home & Kitchen' region of the site, with no affiliation to Rockstar in the listing. A GAMINGbible investigation found the listing was related to scams in the Middle East with a price tag of 949 AED, which is roughly $260 or £200, a price Rockstar will not be charging for their basic edition, that we can be sure of.
Amazon removed the pre-order when it was brought to its attention, saying: "Amazon has a zero tolerance policy for counterfeit and IP infringing products. We have proactive measures in place to prevent counterfeit products from being listed and continuously monitor our store.
“If we identify an issue, we act quickly to protect customers and brands, including removing counterfeit listings and blocking accounts. This product has been removed."
GTA 6 pre-orders 'sell out'
Over in Italy, one retailer Showgame went live with GTA 6 pre-orders on Monday, as per the timeline set out by Best Buy.
With a price of €69.90 ($81, £60) for the game on both PS5 and Xbox Series X, the price surprised many on social media given the $100 rumours over the last 18 months.
The game has since been listed as 'sold out'. Whether it actually has or not, remains to be seen. But it's got people talking once again while we wait for the big players on the market - Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, PlayStation Store - to eventually confirm it. Until then, it's all eyes on Thursday and the Take-Two earnings call.
Tom Earnshaw