Cops in Utah have been alerted by a local resident who received a concrete brick instead of a new PlayStation 5 from eBay.
Sony's shiny new PS5 sells for $499 in the US, but just like here in the UK, stock is extremely limited and scalping is rife.
The man paid $878 - nearly double the PS5's recommended retail price - to receive his concrete, according to a statement by police in the northern Utah city of Orem.
The brick had been placed within a legitimate PS5 cardboard box, and the concrete ruse was not discovered until this was opened. It's enough to leave anyone stony-faced.
Police recommended the unidentified man contact eBay for a refund under its buyer/seller protections, Fox News reported.
Orem police concluded its statement by trying to cement a note of caution: that you should not buy items from eBay sellers with zero feedback scores.
Last week, eBay issued a warning to PS5 scammers who put up misleading listings for consoles - when they were instead selling, for example, a piece of paper with the word "PS5" written on it.
"We condemn these opportunistic sellers who are attempting to mislead other users," eBay said in its statement. "We are in the process of removing all listings for photos of PS5s from our marketplace and will be taking appropriate action against the sellers.
"For any purchase, but especially highly priced or in-demand items, buyers should exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description. Buyers who receive an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund via our eBay Money Back Guarantee, provided they completed the transaction on the eBay platform."
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