Switch Scam

Nintendo Switch 'emulator' scam dupes gamers with promise of Switch titles on a PC.

17:07 31 March 2017

Scammers are now targeting Nintendo Switch users with an emulator that promises of Switch titles on a PC. It requires users to input their personal details before they can download the supposed software.

 

Satnam Narang from Norton said: "A search for 'Nintendo Switch Emulator' on YouTube yields a variety of results, racking up tens of thousands of views (the most having over 76,000), while others have several hundred views," 

 

"Most of these bogus Switch emulator videos contain links to external websites in the description field, but in one case the website was promoted within the video itself.

 

"Most sites feature some Nintendo branding, including screenshots of Breath of the Wild .

 

"If a user tries to download one of these fake Nintendo Switch emulators, they will be directed to a website that claims they need to fill out a survey to receive an unlock code or to unlock the download itself."

 

 

"Whether it’s survey scams or potentially unwanted applications, the YouTube videos and websites are likely driven by affiliate programs," said Narang.

 

"The affiliate would be responsible for delivering a user to the website to fill out a survey, complete an offer, or download a file. For each successful conversion (a completed survey, offer, or download) the affiliate would collect a commission from the advertising network. In this case, it is unclear how much each affiliate is making for each conversion."