Too-cheap PS5s, iPhones and laptops: how to spot a fake tech bargain as real prices rise

What's happened

Phones, laptops and games consoles are getting dearer, and that makes a too-good-to-be-true bargain harder to resist. On 21 October Which? said a shortage of memory chips had pushed prices up across almost all brands. Apple has added £100 to iPhone prices across the board, including older and refurbished models. Microsoft put the Xbox Series X up by £170 in August, to £670. Sony raised the PS5 by £90 in March, to £570, and Nintendo added £24 to the Switch 2 in September, taking it to £420.

Scammers follow the demand. In September Which? warned about copycat websites with "Apple" and "iPhone 18" in their web addresses, built to take shoppers' money and personal details. It said the sites often use countdown timers and low prices to rush you into buying. With Black Friday approaching, expect more fake shops and sellers undercutting the real thing.

The warning signs

• A price far below everyone else's. A "brand-new, sealed" PS5 for £250, when Sony's own price is £570, isn't a bargain.
• A web address that's almost right. Look for brand names with extra words, hyphens or odd endings, such as a site with "iphone18" in its address.
• A countdown timer or "only 3 left". Which? says copycat sites use them to stop you checking.
• A seller who wants a bank transfer. On Facebook Marketplace, Instagram or a group chat, a seller who won't let you collect and asks for a bank transfer is the classic red flag. So is a request to pay through PayPal's "friends and family" option, which doesn't come with PayPal's buyer protection.
• Extra fees after you've paid. "Courier insurance" or a "customs charge" before your parcel can be released means you're dealing with a scammer.

What it could cost: a worked example

This is an illustration, not a real case. Ben spots a "brand-new PS5, unwanted gift" on a local selling group for £250. The seller says he's working away so Ben can't collect, but he'll post it. Ben pays £250 by bank transfer. The next day the seller asks for another £40 for "tracked courier insurance". Ben pays, and the seller blocks him. He's lost £290 and has no console.

Because Ben paid by bank transfer, he can ask his bank to refund him under the reimbursement rules that began on 7 October 2024. His bank should normally pay him back within five working days, but it can keep an excess of up to £100, so he could get as little as £190 back.

If Ben had paid £250 by credit card on a fake website instead, he could ask his card provider for a chargeback, or claim under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which covers single items costing more than £100 and up to £30,000. With a debit card, he could ask for a chargeback.

How to check before you buy

1. Type the shop's address yourself rather than clicking an advert or a link in a message. Which? says the safest places to buy a new iPhone are Apple's own store, at apple.com/uk/store, or your mobile network.
2. Compare the price with the maker's. If a deal is hundreds of pounds below every big retailer, walk away.
3. Check who you're buying from. A genuine UK shop should give a company name, a geographic address and a way to contact it.
4. On a selling site, see it before you pay. Meet somewhere public, check the item works and pay when you collect it.
5. Pay by credit card where you can, never by bank transfer to a stranger.

What to do if you've been caught

1. Call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, or call 159 to reach your bank's fraud team. You have 13 months to claim, but the sooner the better.
2. Report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at reportfraud.police.uk in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
3. Report the fake website to the National Cyber Security Centre using its "report a scam website" form.
4. Forward scam messages. Send suspicious texts to 7726 for free, and forward suspicious emails to [email protected].
5. Report the seller or advert to the site or app where you found it, and keep screenshots of the listing, chat and payment.

Your questions answered

Will my bank refund me?

If you paid by bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, your bank should normally refund you within five working days, up to £85,000, minus any excess of up to £100. The Payment Systems Regulator says banks can refuse if you were "grossly negligent", but that's a high bar. The rules don't cover genuine sellers whose goods turn out faulty, which is a dispute, not a scam.

Will tech prices come down for Black Friday?

Don't count on it. Which?'s laptop expert Oliver Trebilcock says: "Don't delay if you need new tech; it will cost you to wait." Its consoles expert Lars Stannard says he "wouldn't be surprised if prices continued to go up throughout 2027."

Is a refurbished phone a safe way to save?

It can be, from a known retailer with a warranty and a returns policy. But Which? says Apple's price rise also applied to refurbished iPhones, so a "refurbished" one far below the market price should get the same checks as a new one.

Sources: Which?: is there still any cheap tech?, Which?: latest scam alerts, Payment Systems Regulator, Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75, NCSC: report a scam website, Report Fraud