- The reports of several NVIDIA GPU scams continue to emerge, and the scammers find new ways to deceive buyers
- Some buyers claim to have received old GPU or a rice bag instead of the card they hoped to obtain
- Buying and selling second -hand is also full of difficult situations: my friend was scammed for $ 1,900
It is definitely not a buyers market for GPU at this time, which could explain why the scams are running out. I still listen to new ways in which scammers point to buyers (and sellers) of the The best graphics cardsAnd honestly, some of them are really disconcerting.
Some people receive bags of rice and pasta instead of a high -end GPU; Others get a backpack; And some obtain what seems like a graphics card, but the interior reveals that it will never work.
To help him navigate the course of purchase and sale obstacles at this time, here is a guide for all the main scams to take into account, and how to avoid the fate of two of my unfortunate friends.
What kind of GPU scams are there?
I began to notice the scams in the first days after the launch of the RTX 5090. While trying to find one for sale on eBay, I noticed many listings in MSRP, but verifying those listings revealed that people did not sell the GPU, but a printed photo of the card. Yes, a photo, for $ 2,000 and more.
Since then, I have heard of more than a dozen innovative scams. Our brother Tom Hardware recently reported a Amazon client who ordered a Gigabyte Aorus RTX 5090 graphics card, but upon his arrival, he found that the box was full of pasta, rice and an old and dusty GPU.
I made the wonderful mistake of requesting a 5090 from Amazon Netherlands … from R/PcMasterrace
Meanwhile, an unfortunate Micro Center client received Several backpacks Instead of the Zotac Gaming RTX 5090 Solid OC, they hoped to receive.
Recently shared northwest computers repair Another scam That seems to have migrated from RTX 4090 to RTX 5090. The repair workshop is receiving cards that have been stripped of the GPU and memory dies, leaving behind an empty shell that seems convincing enough … until trying to use it, that is.
Attend
Another hardware repair youtuber, this time based in China, four RTX 4090 graphics cards were sent, which, according to the reports, needed repair, but opened them revealed RTX 3090 and RTX 3080s modified; three of the cards were beyond saving (through Tom hardware).
Buying second hand is not much easier. A friend of mine recently tried to buy an open box RTX 5080 of a local Facebook group. He met with the seller, paid the full price and went home with a GPU that did not work. Now you have to resort to the authorities to get help to recover your money.
Today they cheated me buying in Micro Center in Santa Clara. of R/MicroCenter
Even selling your GPU makes it vulnerable to scams. Another friend once tried to sell his RTX 3090 during the 2021 GPU scarcity.
According to the reports, the person he met did not have cash and, on the other hand, showed him his bank application, confirming the transfer of £ 1,400 (around $ 1,900). It seemed legitimate, for what I believed, but it was a false application, and the money obviously never came. Checking Reddit It shows me that this scam still exists until today.
How to stay safe and get a legitimate GPU
Many of the scams that I described previously originated in platforms in which I would normally trust. Amazon and Micro Center are reliable and, nevertheless, things like this may happen, so it is important to stay attentive.
On Amazon, I recommend buying sellers to know and trust (or directly from Amazon). Smaller vendors, especially those with unintelligible names, are better avoided if the list sounds too good to be true. The same rule applies to retailers: look for return policies and do not buy suspiciously cheap GPU.
Given the growing number of scams that involve the GPU box that contains more than what he ordered, be sure to film the entire unpacking process. Ideally, start filming at the time you receive the package, then show step by step while opening it. A photo will not be enough, since it is too easy to manipulate. If you buy in the store, open the box in front of an employee and inspect the content.
Buying second hand can be a nightmare. Even meeting with vendors does not always mean that you will get a GPU that really works and that is real. His best option is to meet in a place that allows him to try the GPU before picking it up, but that opens a completely new can of worms, since he will need to enter the house of a stranger. An easy way is to buy through platforms that offer protection to the buyer and film yourself receiving and opening the GPU.
As a seller, do not be fooled by legitimate -looking bank applications or promises to send money when they get home. Use a platform that protects you and the buyer. It can be a nuisance, but it is wild at this time, so it is really the best.
