Cop talks to woman in car (L) PlayStation 5 (M) Cop (R)

@theotherbrand/TikTok

‘This what happens when you buy sh*t on OfferUp’: TikToker alleges ‘scammer’ sold his girlfriend a stolen PS5

The seller had allegedly ordered a console, reported it stolen, then sold it.

 

Dan Latu

Tech

Posted on Feb 20, 2022   Updated on Feb 21, 2022, 10:14 am CST

Viewers are outraged for a TikToker who claims they were sold a stolen PlayStation 5 on the website OfferUp. A video showing police officers called to the alleged scene between the buyer and seller has garnered over 1 million views. 

In the original video posted by @theotherbrand, a man narrates the alleged crime scene, saying “This is what happens you buy shit on OfferUp and they try to sell you a fucking stolen PlayStation 5.”

He then shows off the four police officers called to the parking lot, saying he’s “cool” with each of them. 

“But her?” he says as he films the alleged perpetrator. “Shitty ass person.”

@theotherbrand Dnt buy a ps5 from #offerup #scam ♬ original sound – Rulas94

OfferUp is an online marketplace, where everything from a BMW 7 series to a deck of Uno cards is for sale. Its website emphasizes the ability to “buy and sell locally” and “buy from your neighbors.” 

The buyer, who appears to be the original TikToker’s girlfriend, explained the incident in two storytime videos. She explained that she bought the gaming system as a Valentine’s Day gift for her boyfriend, and when they tried to set it up, they found they were “temporarily suspended” from using the PlayStation. She had paid $720 to the seller and it was apparently new.

When she called PlayStation and Sony for help, she says a representative explained that the seller had ordered the PS5, reported it stolen, and was sent another one. As a result, the first console was flagged and presumably banned from use.

After the seller allegedly refused to give the buyer her money back, the PS5 buyer’s brother apparently reached out to the seller from a new account, went to meet her under the guise of buying new shoes, and brought his sister and her boyfriend to confront the seller. The PS5 seller then allegedly called the cops to report the buyer for assault, leading to the scene in the original TikTok.

“She was just scared she got caught and she tried to make an excuse of it and say that we did something to her, which is not true,” the buyer said in a video, referring to the seller as a “scammer.”

The alleged stolen PlayStation 5 stirred debated about buying expensive technology from sites like OfferUp. 

@d3xvthlif3 said, “I think they should delete offerup this app has a lot of scams and problems with items.”

@remember2smileee commented, “I got mines from a Gamestop in Compton, nobody wanna deal with scammers bruh smh.”

@ohtfwell88 stated, “It’s pretty obvious to NEVER buy technology from offer up.”

@abdumarquez defended OfferUp saying, “Hmm I’ve sold over 500 PlayStation 5s on OfferUp and I have high start reviews. I’ve heard that PlayStation marked some PlayStation SN# by mistake.”

@staysob3r noted the humor in the situation, saying, ”bruh did they rlly bring tht many cops for a ps5 they must be bored.”

OfferUp did not immediately return a request for comment and @theotherbrand was contacted by TikTok comment.


Today’s top stories

‘Fill her up’: Bartender gives woman a glass of water when the man she’s with orders tequila shot
‘I don’t think my store has even sold one’: Whataburger employees take picture with first customer who bought a burger box
‘It was a template used by anyone in the company’: Travel agent’s ‘condescending’ out-of-office email reply sparks debate
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
Share this article
*First Published: Feb 20, 2022, 12:27 pm CST