U.K. Customs Warns of Potentially Dangerous Fake DS Handhelds

Counterfeit purses are such a 20th century swindle. If you want to be a modern grifter, it seems you have to dabble in counterfeit Nintendo DS handhelds now. Gamasutra reports that the U.K. government’s HM Revenues & Customs department recently seized hundreds of counterfeit gaming consoles at numerous freight depots, most of which were fake DS and DS Lites. The HMRC is now warning consumers against purchasing these counterfeit products online, as they have untested and potentially dangerous power supplies.

The fake handhelds, according to Gamasutra, were mostly purchased from Asian websites for around £40 ($59) -- significantly lower than the actual retail price -- with the sites promising that they’re "genuine Nintendo products." After Nintendo investigated the products, they determined they were, in fact, knock-offs.

"U.K. consumers must be vigilant when purchasing goods online," says the HMRC’s Pamela Rogers. "At best, these consoles would have led to disappointment on Christmas morning; at worst, they could have caused serious harm or injury. Counterfeit goods also cause considerable damage to the U.K. economy by undermining genuine U.K. retailers and small businesses who are honest and abide by the rules."

We imagine the same warning could apply to anyone in North America trying to find a cheap DS in the seedier sections of the Internet, so be extra wary. After all, at least if you unwittingly buy a phony purse, there isn’t a chance that it could burst into flames.