Scammers Continue to Target PC Gamers with New Technique of Fraud
Scammers persistently find ways to deceive PC gamers, and recently they have employed a new technique to carry out their fraudulent activities. In January 2024, several cases of fraud related to counterfeit RTX 4090 graphics cards were observed. While such incidents are typically widespread, a recent occurrence in the United States signifies a new phenomenon. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, North West Repair (NWR), a computer hardware repair expert on YouTube, uploaded a video revealing a fake RTX 4090 card.
The buyer had purchased the card on Amazon, but it turned out to be part of a returned package to Amazon that had been previously sent back by another customer. Unfortunately, upon opening the package, it was discovered that the graphics card was damaged. Consequently, the buyer decided to send it to NWR for repairs. However, it was revealed that the card was not a genuine RTX 4090 model. Underneath the surface, it was a combination of an RTX 4080 motherboard and an RTX 4080 chip, both of which appeared to be defective. Additionally, there were other defects, such as damaged components and missing cooling pads.
In summary, this graphics card was merely an assortment of faulty parts, commonly referred to as a “FrankenGPU,” that was not based on the RTX 4090 model but rather utilized components from the RTX 4080 model.
How did such an incident occur? The scammer ensured that at first glance, it appeared to be a genuine issue with the RTX 4090 card by using a melted power connector. Individuals who are not familiar with the inner workings of a graphics card would be unaware of the actual situation.
NWR warns that this type of scam may increasingly target American consumers and is “100% real and present in the American market.” It is essential, therefore, to exercise caution when purchasing used graphics cards or returning RTX 4090 cards. Especially considering that the flagship model’s price remains considerably high, exceeding $2,000 in the US market (as of the time of writing this article).
In light of these circumstances, many gamers may contemplate acquiring the upcoming RTX 4080 Super card, which is expected to be available next week. It serves as a more affordable alternative for high-quality gaming, with a suggested price of $999 in the USA and similar amounts in other regions. Although the new card may quickly disappear from store shelves, even if rumors of a slight performance increase are true, it will still be a cost-effective option compared to the base RTX 4080 model, which is now 20% cheaper. This could also be a worthy addition to our list of top graphics cards.
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The source of the article is from the blog elektrischnederland.nl