Born yesterday?

Like practically every other Nintendo fan on the face of the planet, you probably want to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch as soon as possible. With Nintendo itself remaining tight-lipped on the system until next year there are millions of players all over the globe who are hungry for more information regarding its power, features and proposed software - hunger that some unscrupulous individuals unfortunately like to take advantage of.

One such scheme has come to light since the Switch's official reveal. Claiming to offer Beta access to the system, this particular scam involves sites etanintendo.us and beta.nintendo-eu.com, both of which look like official portals associated with Nintendo itself.

The only indication that something might be amiss is the pretty dire command of English:

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.

Even the code being issued appears to be legitimate, using the same 16-digit format that Nintendo itself adopts for eShop codes. It's easy to see how people would be fooled into taking part in the scam, given the slick nature of the sites in question, but Wired has done some digging and has discovered that both are registered to "Fernando Sanchez" in the US, and not Nintendo itself. Registrations took place on October 23rd via namecheap.com, and the same name is also linked to 267 other domains.

Needless to say, do not take part in this scam or hand over any of your personal details. If an official Beta program does indeed happen - and that would be a dramatic and uncharacteristic change of plan for Nintendo - then we'll be sure to report on it.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

[source wired.co.uk]