Hickory police warn of scam over $80 PlayStations

HICKORY, N.C. — If you see a new game console for an amazingly good price, you might want to take a few steps to ensure it’s a real deal.

That’s what the Hickory Police Department is saying after getting reports that people were robbed during Facebook Marketplace exchanges.

The police department wrote on social media Wednesday that posts showed up on Facebook Marketplace offering Playstation consoles for “as little as $80.” When prospective buyers would show up to get the consoles, they would then be threatened and robbed by suspects.

HPD didn’t specify which PlayStation consoles were being listed for cheap, but the retail price of a PlayStation 5 is about $500 for a new console, with used consoles running anywhere between $300 to $400.

Police said if you find a great price but want to make sure the deal is legitimate, you can offer to meet the seller at the police department’s “safe exchange zone,” located at 347 2nd Avenue SW. The department said you could also meet at other police headquarters.

HPD said the case is still under investigation, and no suspects have been identified yet.

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