Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Order Chaos: Scammers Exploit Desperate Fans in Japan

For Nintendo fans in Japan, April 24, 2025, marks a significant day as Nintendo is set to announce the winners of the Switch 2 pre-order lottery through the My Nintendo Store. However, the overwhelming demand led to the temporary shutdown of the My Nintendo Store website for maintenance due to excessive traffic. Additionally, Nintendo issued a critical warning regarding phishing emails that falsely claim to be official Switch 2 pre-order lottery results.

The application window for the Switch 2 pre-order lottery opened on April 2, giving hopeful fans in Japan the chance to secure a console for the launch date of June 5. According to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa’s message, approximately 2.2 million people entered this initial lottery, far surpassing Nintendo's expectations. This high demand indicates that many fans will be disappointed come launch day.

As the results of the first Switch 2 presale lottery were set to be revealed today, eager fans flocked to the My Nintendo Store, causing Nintendo to take the site offline for maintenance. This surge in activity also attracted scammers who sent out fraudulent lottery result emails.

Users on X (formerly Twitter) have been vigilant, sharing screenshots of fraudulent emails and warning others about the various scams circulating. These deceptive emails, with subject lines like “You have won the Switch 2 lottery,” initially seem legitimate and could easily fool excited fans. The emails often urge recipients to click on a LINE messenger app link or make a payment via a questionable URL, pushing for immediate action to secure their new console. These phishing attempts vary from obvious fakes, laden with emojis, to more sophisticated scams featuring minor errors such as misspellings of "Nintendo" in email addresses and non-Japanese URLs.

The official warning from the Japanese Nintendo Support account clarifies: “Although we plan to send out the lottery result emails today (April 24), we have not sent them yet. Please be aware that any such emails that you have received up until now were not sent by Nintendo.”

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In the United States, Nintendo has updated its website with information about release-day delivery, warning those who registered their interest in purchasing a Switch 2 from My Nintendo Store that delivery by the June 5 release date cannot be guaranteed. This means that invitation emails might arrive after the Switch 2's release. However, Nintendo assures customers that they will confirm the shipping date upon purchase. Nintendo also suggests that fans might have a better chance of securing a Switch 2 at launch by pre-ordering from third-party retailers, despite the console already being sold out following overnight pre-orders.

The challenges fans faced in pre-ordering the Switch 2 on April 24, combined with Nintendo's warning, suggest that acquiring the next-generation console will be difficult around its launch.

According to a FAQ posted to Nintendo’s website, the first batch of invitations for the My Nintendo Store in the U.S. will be sent out starting May 8, 2025. Additional batches will follow "periodically" until the store opens to everyone. The initial invitation emails will be sent on a first-come, first-serve basis to "eligible registrants who meet the priority criteria," with invitees given 72 hours from the time the email is sent to complete their purchase.

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order invitation priority requirements:

• You must have been the one who purchased any Nintendo Switch Online membership.
• You must have had any paid Nintendo Switch Online membership for a minimum of 12 months.
• You must have opted in to share gameplay data and have at least 50 hours total gameplay hours.