Warning: Playstation Scams

Sony Corp issued a warning Tuesday against false promotional offers for its upcoming PlayStation 3 video game console.

A number of Web sites have been promoting pre-orders on discounted or bulk shipments of the game system — without the cooperation of Sony, the company stated.

Company representatives did not name the sites but suggested consumers can avoid potential scams by purchasing PlayStation products only from authorized retailers and resellers, which includes well-known stores such as GameStop, EB Games, Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

The PlayStation 3 system, with models priced between $500 and $600, is set to go on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 17, though only in limited quantities.

Some authorized stores began taking pre-orders on Oct. 10. At some GameStop and EB Game locations, the orders were snapped up within minutes.

Sony has said it plans to ship 6 million Playstation 3 machines in its fiscal year through March 2007.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.

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