Switch scalping just leveled up—thieves made off with nearly 3,000 Switch 2s in a cross-country truck heist.
From Scalping Switches to Stealing
Whether it’s concert tickets or game consoles, one of the perennial problems of online shopping is scalpers. In spite of Nintendo’s efforts to mitigate the issue during the Switch 2’s preorder period, any hot gaming commodity is going to attract unscrupulous people looking to make some cash. And if they can’t scalp, then they’ll do the next best thing: steal. Such was the case earlier this June with a shipment of Switch 2s stolen in Colorado.
According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department, a truck driver making a pre-trip check in the town of Bennett inspected his trailer to find it breached. Several pallets of the Switch 2s were missing, totaling 2,810 consoles stolen at more than $1.4 million dollars in value. And no doubt those responsible will be charging much more than the MSRP when listings go up across the web. If the stolen Switch 2s go for double the normal price, it’s almost $3 million in value. No wonder the thieves opted to go for gaming consoles over a diamond heist.
Where Did It Happen?
Making things worse, it’s possible the consoles weren’t stolen in Bennett itself. The truck initially departed from Nintendo of America in Redmond, WA, and was en route to a GameStop in Grapevine, TX. Anywhere the truck stopped for an extended period could have been the site of the heist. The driver claims he did not know the exact contents of the pallets, just that they were toys or games. The sheriff’s department is requesting anyone in the know reach out at 720-874-8477, where they can remain anonymous. If caught, the thieves could face felony theft and criminal mischief charges. In prison, they’ll probably miss out on the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, and will have to settle for an Xbox Series X, if they’re lucky.
Unfortunately, it seems that Texas gamers will have to wait a little while longer to play Mario Kart World. On the plus side, I have the perfect idea for the next Ocean’s movie. Hollywood screenwriters are free to hit me up.