A rash of Xbox 720-related scams has begun popping up all over the internet, and Microsoft wants to make sure you don't get fooled.
Microsoft mouthpiece Major Nelson tweeted that Xbox fans should beware any person or site asking for personal information in conjunction with Microsoft's unnannounced next-gen console:
"Confirmed: All sign-up pages for testing the 'next Xbox' are FAKE. Do not give them your information - it's a scam."
The most common Xbox 720-themed fake-outs seem to come from dummy pages offering consumers a chance to sign up for a waiting list to become a "Xbox 720 beta tester." Xbox720beta.com, for example, asks for unwitting Xbox fans' name and email in exchange for three-month trial with the next Xbox and a free copy of "Halo 4" to play on it:
"For a limited time you have the opportunity to try out the XBOX 720 for 3 months and give Microsoft feedback on the system. What you like, what you would like to see, how they can make the system better before the 2013 release. XBOX will also send you a copy of "Halo 4" to try out with the system which is yours to keep just for being part of the beta team."
If you can get past the site's doubtful legitimacy, the site's claim conflicts with popular speculation on the console. Rumors suggest the next Xbox may not play current-gen software. Obviously those are just rumors, but they come from a more legitimate source than a website run by an admin called "Pimp Squiggles."
The bottom line line is, please be patient, dear readers. Please be careful and please stay safe as you browse online. We'll let you know when and where you can sign up to beta test the next Xbox, assuming that ever happens. In the meantime, Microsoft is expected to unveil the "Xbox 720" at an event next month.