Home / Crime and Justice / Blackmailed Employee Admits to PS5 Heists
Blackmailed Employee Admits to PS5 Heists
28 Jan
Summary
- Employee allegedly blackmailed with nude photos for shoplifting.
- Over 40 PlayStation 5 consoles were stolen in December.
- Police are investigating the blackmail claims and issued arrest warrants.
In December, a Best Buy employee in Savannah, Georgia, allegedly facilitated the theft of over 40 PlayStation 5 consoles. The 20-year-old employee claims a hacking group blackmailed him into allowing customers to shoplift. He told law enforcement that nude photographs of himself, posted on Instagram, were used for the blackmail.
According to a police report, the hackers also provided the employee with physical descriptions and outfits of the customers he was to let take merchandise. This theft included 44 PS5 consoles, over a dozen Meta Quest VR headsets, and three Asus ROG Ally gaming handhelds, totaling about $40,734 in stolen goods.
Authorities remain skeptical of the blackmail narrative. The employee could not identify the hacking group or provide his personal email address, which he claimed the hackers used. He has since been charged with theft by taking. Police have identified the shoplifters through surveillance footage and issued arrest warrants.
