Don’t Fall For the Pottermore Scam, Potterheads

Pottermore pre-registration is in full swing this week, and with only two days left some of the fans who haven’t been lucky enough to get in are panicking. But for those of you who fall into that category, beware: there are those out there that would take advantage of a desperate Harry Potter fan, and some of those people are selling fake early-access accounts to the site.

Officially opening in October, Pottermore has been offering the possibility for one million lucky fans to gain access to the site early and help to shape it before its official opening. Unfortunately for many fans, however, one million is still rather exclusive for the Potter fandom, and with some people creating multiple accounts once they “find the magic quill” (please don’t create multiple accounts yet, by the way; leave room for others to enjoy the site), the slots are being taken up fast.

This has led to a number of big scams surrounding the site floating around on the internet. A bunch of “Buy a Pottermore Account!” sales have shown up on eBay and similar sites, and according the the BBC, “they are also using search engine poisoning to direct Potter fans to sites that are seeded with viruses and other malicious programs.” Not only that, but either of these scams can put your personal information in the hands of some nefarious people.

And while some of the eBay sales may actually be run by fans who created more than one account and would like to profit from it, it’s probably best to stay away from them all together and just stick it out until October, when everyone can get in. For free. It’s not that far away.

There’s also the fact that Pottermore administrators have expressly stated that such bought-and-sold accounts are prohibited, and have been taking down the ones they find. Do you really want J.K. Rowling mad at you? The answer should be a resounding no.

J.K.R. said it in her video originally announcing the site: Pottermore is meant as a safe environment for kids and adults alike to bathe in the loving glow of Rowling and her Potter universe. They won’t even let you choose your own screen name for that specific purpose. Respect the safety rules, wait until October, and we can all be at Hogwarts together at last.

(BBC via Gizmodo)

(Photo via Daemon’s Books)