19-year-old man shot during attempted PlayStation 5 robbery

[midian182]

WTF?! A 19-year-old has been shot during an attempt to steal his PlayStation 5 after meeting what he thought was a buyer for the console. The Harris County, Texas, resident is in a stable condition at a local hospital where his injuries are described as “non-life-threatening.”

Thanks to the global chip shortage, electronic devices such as consoles and graphics cards are difficult to find outside of reseller sites where they cost a fortune, and that makes them even more appealing to criminals.

ABC13 reports that a 19-year-old man listed his PlayStation 5 for sale over the weekend using an online ad. Someone claiming to be an interested buyer soon made contact, and the pair arranged to meet on a street at 1.30 pm on Sunday.

But it appears the 'buyer' had no intention of going through with the transaction. When the ad respondent arrived, they pulled out a firearm and tried to steal the PS5. Reports don’t say what happened next, but the criminal shot the teenager “in the side” and made a getaway—without the console. Police have not released a description of the suspect.

This is horrible, friends. 🙏 A 19-year-old was meeting someone who expressed interest in buying a PlayStation 5 from him and ended up shot in northwest Harris County, deputies said. #abc13 #hounews https://t.co/cwYi5BV09j

— Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) November 29, 2021

Thankfully, the victim in this incident survived and is in a stable condition.

PlayStation 5 consoles have probably been the item hit hardest as a result of the chip shortage. A quick look on eBay shows many Buy-it-now listings for $2,000, with some sellers charging $5,000, $10,000, even $20,000 for a single PS5.

Why PS5 consoles are attracting criminal elements

This isn’t the first incident we’ve seen of a crime that’s come as a result of the chip crisis’ effect on consumer goods. Thousands of dollars worth of EVGA RTX 3000 cards were hijacked in a truck heist earlier this month, while over $7,000 of graphics cards were stolen from an internet café back in June.

h/t: Kotaku

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/92421-19-year-old-shot-attempted-playstation-5-robbery.html

 

[Nobina]

If he was selling a PS4 instead he wouldn't get shot?

 

[QuantumPhysics]

APPLE during the iPhone 7 release, forced people to preorder phones and then either come to the apple stores to pick them up - on appointment only - or have them directly delivered to their home.

Meanwhile, both SONY and Microsoft (as well as AMD and Nvidia) have completely ignored the dangers to the consumer, and the detriment of crypto mining scams/scalping - by adopting such behavior.

 

[dualkelly]

Isnt there places in most cities to meet and pick up online seller information IN front of police stations?

 

[noel24]

What happening with this World? This is toy. Anyway, those are on sale now and then for $650 here in Eastern Europe.
That's roughly monthly wage here, I imagine that's like weekly unemployment benefit for a Texan. To try to risk someone life and waste Yours in prison for that?

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Have to be rather dumb to do pickups in a non-public place especially with high value stuff.

 

[kiwigraeme]

APPLE during the iPhone 7 release, forced people to preorder phones and then either come to the apple stores to pick them up - on appointment only - or have them directly delivered to their home.

Meanwhile, both SONY and Microsoft (as well as AMD and Nvidia) have completely ignored the dangers to the consumer, and the detriment of crypto mining scams/scalping - by adopting such behavior.

Are you serious QR - Sony/Microsoft/Amd/Nvida - should of predicted this post sale danger !!
Having preorders will protect you if you wish to on sell your console at a later date !!!.
That Apple care is some serious good sh*t - does the Apple Geniuses ride in to protect you , or can you sell in the Apple store - and then safely leave with the moolah stuffed in your pockets ?

You better check the exhausts on your big truck - it made be coming out lean - too much carbon monoxide .
Jokes aside a waiting list is nice to bypass scalpers - even given your argument there would still be a shortage and on selling scalpers and those selling for legitimate reasons .

Plus this story is generic - Person selling highly desirable item worth money shot an gunpoint

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Are you serious QR - Sony/Microsoft/Amd/Nvida - should of predicted this post sale danger !!
Having preorders will protect you if you wish to on sell your console at a later date !!!.
That Apple care is some serious good sh*t - does the Apple Geniuses ride in to protect you , or can you sell in the Apple store - and then safely leave with the moolah stuffed in your pockets ?

You better check the exhausts on your big truck - it made be coming out lean - too much carbon monoxide .
Jokes aside a waiting list is nice to bypass scalpers - even given your argument there would still be a shortage and on selling scalpers and those selling for legitimate reasons .

Plus this story is generic - Person selling highly desirable item worth money shot an gunpoint

It's only because of the censorship that I can't tell you exactly what my response is: But suffice to say: YES - I said exactly what I meant.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Are you serious QR - Sony/Microsoft/Amd/Nvida - should of predicted this post sale danger !!
Having preorders will protect you if you wish to on sell your console at a later date !!!.
That Apple care is some serious good sh*t - does the Apple Geniuses ride in to protect you , or can you sell in the Apple store - and then safely leave with the moolah stuffed in your pockets ?

You better check the exhausts on your big truck - it made be coming out lean - too much carbon monoxide .
Jokes aside a waiting list is nice to bypass scalpers - even given your argument there would still be a shortage and on selling scalpers and those selling for legitimate reasons .

Plus this story is generic - Person selling highly desirable item worth money shot an gunpoint

He's not wrong though. While sony/MS/AMD/nvidia predicting consumer danger is rather silly, this entire fiasco with shortages and miners and scalpers is easy to fix. sony/MS/AMD/nvidia requiring your address, CC details, shipping address, and limiting each household, individual, ece to a single purchase in a set timeframe would have utterly derailed the plans of scalpers and miners alike. It would have also pressured retailers to reign in their greedy side and prevent purchases by scalpers as well.

They didnt do that because the almight $$$ is more important to them then maintaining a dedicated audience. Apple understood how important that dedicated audience is and thus implemented succesful programs to prevent what we are seeing now from everyone else.

What happening with this World? This is toy. Anyway, those are on sale now and then for $650 here in Eastern Europe.
That's roughly monthly wage here, I imagine that's like weekly unemployment benefit for a Texan. To try to risk someone life and waste Yours in prison for that?

It may look that way from the outside, but in the USA unemployment benefits are closer to $600 a month. They ar enot enough for the vast majority to live on. Welfare isnt uch better, you have to be gaming the system HARD to get any sort of wealth out of it.

The system also discourages any saving of money, so thats why you see welfare benefactors spending money like the rich.

For the record we cant figure out whose buying these things either. If you can find them, the few I've seen in stock are fetching over $1000 US on the shelves.

 

[croth87]

Please be careful in online meet ups everyone. I've known someone close to my family who died exactly like this trying to sell a PS4. Always coordinate to meet at a public place like a busy gas station or a police precinct, never after dark, and try to bring a buddy with you.

 

[Lionvibez]

Kid should known better at this time deals like this should be done at the police station. In all my years of buying stuff directly from people I've never had this happen to me in Canada, thankfully guns are not legal here so less of a chance.

 

[wiyosaya]

IMO, this is a sad commentary on what the economic systems of the world have lead humanity to become, or rather, I should say have reinforced this type of behavior - jealousy at its worst. "I/we don't have what they have so that must make us inferior to them."

APPLE during the iPhone 7 release, forced people to preorder phones and then either come to the apple stores to pick them up - on appointment only - or have them directly delivered to their home.

Meanwhile, both SONY and Microsoft (as well as AMD and Nvidia) have completely ignored the dangers to the consumer, and the detriment of crypto mining scams/scalping - by adopting such behavior.

And censorship will not let me express exactly what I think of you and your abject BS.

EDIT: You simply cannot argue that they are not doing anything https://direct.playstation.com/en-us/ps5

 

[Shadowboxer]

Article doesn’t say if the PS5 survived or if it’s still for sale, I’m interested..

 

[defaultluser]

APPLE during the iPhone 7 release, forced people to preorder phones and then either come to the apple stores to pick them up - on appointment only - or have them directly delivered to their home.

Meanwhile, both SONY and Microsoft (as well as AMD and Nvidia) have completely ignored the dangers to the consumer, and the detriment of crypto mining scams/scalping - by adopting such behavior.

This is exactly what Best Buy already does selling everything. - for consoles, resellers use bots + VPNs to fake multiple different people,, and then for home ship use a set of virtual mailboxes - one for each order! For Pickup-only items like Nv cards,if you aren't within driving range, they use paid pick-up the product at the store (the same sort of people who will resell pre-orders can also get in on the lucrative reshipping game.)

The only reason why Apple "seems" to be doing something effective here is because they don't have anywhere near the sustained drive of miners looking to make money (it's easy to pretend you are doing something right, when demand will automatically be met within 3 months of product release.)

 

[sac39507]

Isnt there places in most cities to meet and pick up online seller information IN front of police stations?

I don't think this is common knowledge yet.

 

[kiwigraeme]

There's a lot of good advice out there - especially for women - dating, parties for teenagers , walking down the road , strange vans pulled right up to your drivers door.
Professionals can be specifically targeted - eg a Real estate agent.

But here's one for us - Scammers to make themselves more plausible - say meet me at my place in a middle-class neighbourhood ( you think established house , if item/car not good - I know where to come ).You pull up to the address and they jump out of their car pretending they have just arrived too.
They do not live there.
Someone shows you they are transferring money to you on their phone . Don't believe it- check your phone - make sure it does not say pending either .
I think sites like Ebay - your money is not confirmed for awhile ( seller sends you "money via Ebay" to ship item - so you lose item and shipping cost ) .
as an aside in my travels - every time I heard a backpacker had been ripped off - none of the scammers made them work hard to get a normal good rate - ie they offered over market straight up - I was never ripped off on the black markets - as I did my homework and had good intuition.
I'm heard of very clever scams - and some so good and funny that you would pay for just comedy and didn't involve much money eg made short -
guy told me he and a friend when to a go go bar in Vietnam - they got invited in - they asked every question - entrance fee no, exit fee no, need to buy hostesses drinks no, cover fee no - a beer $1 a coke 50cents - Minimum spent No. They had five drinks each and were charged $5 extra each for chilled cloth napkins/serviettes to kept cool that was offered with each drink .
That's a nice funny scam - had a good time - weren't really ripped off and was good for a laugh.
I spent over a year travelling in States -never felt unsafe - first time driveaways and hitching . Next time with vehicles I bought . Yeah being dropped off downtown LA in 80s at night with my backpack -didn't look safe - rang YHA - no beds- said I'm coming anyway - was offer accom with kind people on way there - they had beds anyway .
Parking up in free forest campsites - normally fine - couple of times - moved as didn't like way a vehicle drove by - never worried about good old boys - as they would help me it Camper got stuck etc . Didn't park up in Crompton, pull off some turnpike into Philadelphia. Even walking to a friends place mid-Bronx ( Little Italy ) late 80s late at night from being downtown - getting off was it the D train or F Train and walking -" Hey man come over and talk to me " me walking fast with confidence "nah gotta move man " friendly neutral in the day those black areas were just normal people going about their lives

 

[Gameredic]

Have to be rather dumb to do pickups in a non-public place especially with high value stuff.

IKR, when I sold my graphics card I did it at a Target.

 

[nismo91]

I just use common sense and use parking lot at McDonalds during busy hours for COD sales. last thing I sold was a folding bike which was much larger than a PS5. as a buyer I'd prefer the same - meeting in a well known and illuminated public place.

 

[wiyosaya]

There's a lot of good advice out there - especially for women - dating, parties for teenagers , walking down the road , strange vans pulled right up to your drivers door.
Professionals can be specifically targeted - eg a Real estate agent.

But here's one for us - Scammers to make themselves more plausible - say meet me at my place in a middle-class neighbourhood ( you think established house , if item/car not good - I know where to come ).You pull up to the address and they jump out of their car pretending they have just arrived too.
They do not live there.
Someone shows you they are transferring money to you on their phone . Don't believe it- check your phone - make sure it does not say pending either .
I think sites like Ebay - your money is not confirmed for awhile ( seller sends you "money via Ebay" to ship item - so you lose item and shipping cost ) .
as an aside in my travels - every time I heard a backpacker had been ripped off - none of the scammers made them work hard to get a normal good rate - ie they offered over market straight up - I was never ripped off on the black markets - as I did my homework and had good intuition.
I'm heard of very clever scams - and some so good and funny that you would pay for just comedy and didn't involve much money eg made short -
guy told me he and a friend when to a go go bar in Vietnam - they got invited in - they asked every question - entrance fee no, exit fee no, need to buy hostesses drinks no, cover fee no - a beer $1 a coke 50cents - Minimum spent No. They had five drinks each and were charged $5 extra each for chilled cloth napkins/serviettes to kept cool that was offered with each drink .
That's a nice funny scam - had a good time - weren't really ripped off and was good for a laugh.
I spent over a year travelling in States -never felt unsafe - first time driveaways and hitching . Next time with vehicles I bought . Yeah being dropped off downtown LA in 80s at night with my backpack -didn't look safe - rang YHA - no beds- said I'm coming anyway - was offer accom with kind people on way there - they had beds anyway .
Parking up in free forest campsites - normally fine - couple of times - moved as didn't like way a vehicle drove by - never worried about good old boys - as they would help me it Camper got stuck etc . Didn't park up in Crompton, pull off some turnpike into Philadelphia. Even walking to a friends place mid-Bronx ( Little Italy ) late 80s late at night from being downtown - getting off was it the D train or F Train and walking -" Hey man come over and talk to me " me walking fast with confidence "nah gotta move man " friendly neutral in the day those black areas were just normal people going about their lives

Stuff like this tends to get reported in the media, then everyone believes the world is going to hell. I have done somethings like you, too, and never had a problem either.

I used to work with a man who said that he would never go downtown in our city because he would get killed. The interesting thing is that for most of the time (many years) that I worked at that company is that I took public transportation (bus) to work and I had to transfer to another bus in exactly the area (Downtown) that this guy said he would never go.

The police department for the town that I live in actively encourages people doing deals like this to meet in the police department's parking lot. While it would be less likely for something like this to happen there, it does not mean that it could not or would not happen in such a situation. Situational awareness is everything. And by all means, if someone were to pull a gun on you, there is a chance you will get shot no matter what you do. Unfortunately, life is a gamble no matter where you go or what you do.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Stuff like this tends to get reported in the media, then everyone believes the world is going to hell. I have done somethings like you, too, and never had a problem either.

I used to work with a man who said that he would never go downtown in our city because he would get killed. The interesting thing is that for most of the time (many years) that I worked at that company is that I took public transportation (bus) to work and I had to transfer to another bus in exactly the area (Downtown) that this guy said he would never go.

The police department for the town that I live in actively encourages people doing deals like this to meet in the police department's parking lot. While it would be less likely for something like this to happen there, it does not mean that it could not or would not happen in such a situation. Situational awareness is everything. And by all means, if someone were to pull a gun on you, there is a chance you will get shot no matter what you do. Unfortunately, life is a gamble no matter where you go or what you do.

When I ran my little accommodation business - young women would ask me if my city was safe at night - My answer was - if you think it's safe then it is - obviously stay to well lit streets , walk assuredly with confidence.
Unfortunately there is the opposite if a virtuous circle - if few parents let their kids walk to school , then it becomes more unsafe to walk to school ( stranger danger is very rare - sometimes it's just roads are so much more busy , people texting for parents worry )
That's why I hate gated communities in countries that don't need them - they propagate fear .
Lets go back to the Bronx - imagine someone saying don't go to little Puerto Rico ( never been ) - they were terrorists in the 70s for independence blah blah - yet you end up living there for a year - you find they are just normal folks - some good , some bad - late at night you stay away from certain street corners or gang areas - other than that you feel pretty safe .
You see former Eastern Bloc countries can be quite racist - yet they have rarely met people from those countries .
Maybe certain parts of Phoenix, Detroit are dangerous- but most violence is inwards ( eg gang on gang ) .
TBF - I would be more cautious now being a father and I can't run fast and far anymore - or sustain 100% struggling effort for more than 2 or 3 minutes ,
22 years old flip over a 12ft chain wire fence - easy as . Actually even when young I never had to , or even run - I did trust my intuition though- if a place/street didn't seem right - I turned right around and left - One time in downtown Bogota ( when Columbia had only a few tourist ( Cartagena/Cruise boats -police protection ) - I started walking down a street and if felt like I hit a wall of violence , it was so visceral it felt like it lifted me and push me right back - the sun was shining brightly - yet I saw nothing out of the ordinary - Only time that happened .
- gunfire at night even poor people afraid to be out in Bogota - well in the centre where my hotel was

 

[Revolution 11]

This is why you always meet the buyer or seller inside a bank branch. If the other party is not willing to do this, run away from the deal ASAP.

Edit = The suggestion for a police station meetup is even better.

 

[wiyosaya]

One time in downtown Bogota ( when Columbia had only a few tourist ( Cartagena/Cruise boats -police protection ) - I started walking down a street and if felt like I hit a wall of violence , it was so visceral it felt like it lifted me and push me right back - the sun was shining brightly - yet I saw nothing out of the ordinary - Only time that happened .

To me, this begs the questions - was it some sort of intuitive sense from an area that really was bad, or was it an internal fear that was unwarranted?

I've always liked that quote from the movie (it might also be in the book, IDK) Dune - Fear is the mind killer.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that caution is to be abandoned. Sometimes feelings like this deserve attention and I've heard stories in the media about people who have responded similarly in similar situations and realized, afterwards, that how they reacted to that sense saved their life.

 

[kiwigraeme]

To me, this begs the questions - was it some sort of intuitive sense from an area that really was bad, or was it an internal fear that was unwarranted?

I've always liked that quote from the movie (it might also be in the book, IDK) Dune - Fear is the mind killer.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that caution is to be abandoned. Sometimes feelings like this deserve attention and I've heard stories in the media about people who have responded similarly in similar situations and realized, afterwards, that how they reacted to that sense saved their life.

Absolutely no idea - street seemed normal - small business area just out from centre govt, hotel, museum, commercial centre- I learn to trust my intuition- didn't care if was wrong - Back then the poor were too afraid to be out in Bogota at night - heard gunshots often . Cali , Medellin centres of drug cartels - Right wing death squads , history of violence , Govt vs Farc. I wasn't that rich at the time - hitchhiked from Ribacha - to Maicao ( last border town ) - just immediately jumped on the bus to the border not caring price ( then onto Maracaibo - 100% hot swamp city ) - that border town had a freaky feel - wild west feel - where anything went - from poor who wanted to work Venezuelan oil fields, smugglers of contraband- could just be petrol, jeans , electrical stuff to circling sharks and people who just look like lowlife criminals - muy feo , no town pride , rubbish everywhere - When you are in a dangerous place - you have to walk with confidence, appear relaxed , but be hyper aware . When I stepped into Venezuela - I felt like someone had pulled a bath plug and stress was draining out my feet . Colombia is one of the most stunning countries in the world - the people were super friendly , kind y muy linda. Things change from when I walked all around Caracas for a week waiting a money transfer that got held up - walked around the barrios on the hillsides etc - would not do that now ( economy bad, civil unrest )- was 21 then - felt I was strong and could run fast . Some countries I travelled in were dangerous - but mainly for locals - govt crack downs, gang, tribal warfare etc . Did do the gun run from Malawi to Zimbabwe through Mozambique end of cold war 1989 - only vehicle we could buy a ride ( with GF ) was a petrol tanker - I'm sure that was a nice target for a rebel with a Russian RPG - Driver took great glee pointing out all the ambush spots - I banked on Rebels no longer supplied by Russians and in a Zim. Army convoy for trucks . Have done a couple of hikes where hired armed guards with AK47s ( from being taken hostage ) - most times if mugged ( never happened ) - stay calm - hand over money - problem in places like Colombia at time - life was cheap , kids/teens with guns .
Only 2 other times strong weird feelings - once in the lovely city of Bergen - staying with a friend in a high-rise apartment complex ( well for Bergen ) the building just felt wrong ( not violent- just sick ) - the other camping out in Nigeria - felt a looming presence -that a guy with a machete was standing over the tent middle of the night - think that was a very lucid dream - combining some external input - thing that have also been affected by Malaria - had cerebral malaria shortly before 15% plus red blood cells stuffed up

 

[captaincranky]

I've always liked that quote from the movie (it might also be in the book, IDK) Dune - Fear is the mind killer.

The quote in the movie is drawn directly from the book.
It's in the context of young Paul Atreides, "coming of age" ceremony.. You put your hand in a box, an old witch plays mind games, If you pull your hand out, she stabs you with her lethally poisonous "Gom Jabbar", the the principle protagonist dies, leaving some 400 pages of the book left, with no incentive to read them.,

For some odd and abstract reason, I analogize it with someone in our culture reciting the Lord's Prayer, in times of stress, anxiety, or danger