NVIDIA GPU FOURCHING is now unbridled – This is what to do to stay safe
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- Reports from various Nvidia GPU scams continue to pop up, and scammers find new ways to mislead shoppers
- Some buyers claim that they have received old GPUs or a bag of rice instead of the card they expected to get
- Shopping and second-hand selling is also full of difficult situations my friend was scammed from $ 1,900
At the moment it is absolutely not a buyer market for GPUs, which could explain why scam is unbridled. I keep hearing about new ways in which scammers focus on buyers (and sellers) of the Best graphics cardsAnd to be honest, some of them are really astonishing.
Some people get bags of rice and pasta instead of a high-end GPU; Others get a backpack; And some get what looks like a graphic card, but the inside reveal that it will never work.
To help you navigate the obstacle course of buying and selling GPUs at the moment, here is a guide for all the most important scam to pay attention – and how to avoid the fate of two of my unfortunate friends.
What kind of GPU scams are there?
I started to notice the scams in the early days after the launch of the RTX 5090. While I tried to find one for sale on eBay, I saw many offers at MSRP – but checking those mentions revealed that people did not sell the GPU, but rather a printed photo of the card. Yes, a photo, for $ 2,000 and higher.
Since then I have heard of more than a dozen innovative scams. Our Sister site Tom’s Hardware Recently reported on one Amazon Customer who ordered a gigabyte aorus rtx 5090 -graphic card, but on arrival the box found filled with pasta, rice and an old, dusty GPU.
I made the wonderful mistake to order a 5090 at Amazon Netherlands … by R/PCMASTERRACE
In the meantime, a breakdown customer received from the micrentrum that Different backpacks Instead of the Zotac Gaming RTX 5090 Solid OC that they had expected to receive.
Northwest Computer Repair recently shared Another scam That seems to have migrated from the RTX 4090 to the RTX 5090. The repair workshop receives cards that are stripped of the GPU and the memory that dies, so that an empty Shell looks convincingly enough … until you try to use it, that is.
WARNING NEW RTX 5090 SCAM RIT Take on the Markt – YouTube
Another hardware repair Youttuber, this time located in China, four RTX 4090 graphic cards were sent to repair, but they openly open Modded RTX 3090 and RTX 3080S; Three of the cards were more than save (via Tom’s hardware).
Buying second -hand is not a lot easier. A friend of mine recently tried to buy an open box RTX 5080 From a local Facebook group. He met the seller, paid the full price and went home with a GPU that didn’t work. He must now turn to the authorities for help recovering his money.
I was scammed today in Micro Center in Santa Clara. by R/Microccent
Even selling your GPU makes you vulnerable to scams. Another friend once tried to sell his RTX 3090 during the GPU deficiency of 2021.
The person he reportedly had had no cash and instead showed him his bank app, which confirmed the transfer of £ 1,400 (about $ 1,900). It looked legitimate, so he believed it, but it was a fake app and the money clearly never arrived. Control Reddit Show me that this scam still exists to this day.
How you can stay safe and get a legitimate GPU
Much of the scams that I have explained above come from platforms that you would normally trust. Amazon and Micro Center are both reliable, and yet things like this can happen, so it is important to remain vigilant.
At Amazon I recommend buying from sellers you know and trust (or directly from Amazon). Smaller sellers, especially those with unintelligible names, are best avoided if the list sounds too good to be true. The same rule applies to retailers: look at the return policy and do not buy suspected cheap GPUs.
Given the increasing number of scams where the GPU box contains the entire unboxing process with something other than what you exist. Ideally, you start the moment you receive the package and then show step by step while you open it. A photo is not enough, because that is too easy to mess with. If you buy in the store, open the box for an employee and inspect the content.
Buying second -hand can be a nightmare. Even meeting sellers does not always mean that you get a GPU that really works and is real. Your best gamble is to meet in a place where you can test the GPU before you record it, but that opens a whole new can of worms, because you have to enter the house of a stranger. An easier way is to buy through platforms that offer buyer protection and film yourself that receive and open the GPU.
As a seller, don’t be fooled by legitimate bank apps or promises to send you money when they come home. Use a platform that protects both you and the buyer. It can be a hassle, but it’s wild now, so it’s really the best.
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