Avast ye! Thar be more Nvidia RTX 4090 scams afoot! This latest be a shameless 'FrankenGPU' rip-off acquired on Amazon, arrr!
2024-01-22
Ye be ponderin' on buyin' an RTX 4090, aye? Nay, matey! The price be outrageous, and beware o' these treacherous scams, like this 'FrankenGPU', lurkin' in the shadows. A smart pirate knows when to hold back!
In the realm of PC gaming, scammers have been deceiving players with fake RTX 4090 graphics cards. However, what's unusual is that there have been a couple of these incidents in January 2024, whereas they are typically more sporadic. The most recent case occurred in the US. According to Tom's Hardware, a YouTube hardware repair expert known as North West Repair (NWR) showcased a fake RTX 4090 in a video.The buyer had purchased the card from Amazon, which was part of a pallet deal from Amazon Returns. It turned out that the graphics card was faulty, so they sent it to NWR for repair. Upon inspection, NWR discovered that the card was not an RTX 4090 at all. Instead, it contained an RTX 4080 board and chip, which appeared to be damaged, along with other issues.
The scammer had cleverly made it seem like the graphics card had a believable fault by using a melted power connector. They had essentially taken the important components from a genuine RTX 4090 and replaced them with broken parts, before returning the "FrankenGPU" to Amazon for a refund.
This is the second reported case of an RTX 4090 scam within a month. While not yet a widespread trend, it is concerning, especially since this one occurred in the US. NWR warns American consumers to be cautious when dealing with second-hand graphics cards or RTX 4090 returns. The high price of the flagship card makes it an attractive target for scammers.
PC gamers may want to consider waiting for the upcoming RTX 4080 Super as a more affordable alternative. However, there is a possibility of limited stock due to its potential value compared to the regular RTX 4080. Regardless, buyers should exercise caution and be aware of the potential for scams in the marketplace.