Amazon Customer Receives Non-Functional RTX 4090 After Year-Long Wait, Highlighting Growing GPU Fraud Problem – A customer’s July 2024 order from Amazon for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card arrived in December 2024, only to be discovered as a fraudulent product with critical components missing. The incident underscores a surge in thefts targeting high-demand GPUs, fueled by the artificial intelligence boom.
The customer, a Reddit user known as ‘u/Maximus_D‘, reported receiving a package appearing externally undamaged. however, a detailed inspection revealed that the bolts securing the GPU core were stripped, and evidence suggested the card had been previously disassembled. Upon connecting the card to a computer, it failed to power on, with the cooling fan remaining inactive.
Further examination with a flashlight confirmed the absence of both the GPU core and GDDR7 memory modules. This suggests a refined scheme where valuable components are removed from new cards and either sold individually or repurposed. The incident highlights the difficulty Amazon and other e-commerce platforms face in verifying the authenticity of products, notably when packaging appears intact.
the RTX 4090,priced around $1,600 – $2,000 USD at retail,has become a prime target for thieves due to its high value and demand driven by AI applications like machine learning and large language models. Similar cases have been reported, including instances of RTX 4090 boxes containing older RTX 3090 cards, and even packaging filled with non-electronic materials like pasta and rice.According to a December 2024 report by the Better Business Bureau, reports of tech fraud increased by 35% year-over-year.
A growing trend involves criminals removing the GPU core and memory chips from new cards. These components are then sold on the gray market or transplanted into other cards, a practice particularly prevalent in China, where import restrictions on the RTX 5090 – the anticipated successor to the RTX 4090 – have created a strong demand for components. Chinese customs data indicates a 60% increase in seized GPU components in the last quarter of 2024.
Experts recommend buyers purchase graphics cards from authorized retailers and carefully inspect packaging for signs of tampering. Amazon’s A-to-z Guarantee offers some protection, but the process of filing a claim and receiving a refund can be lengthy. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for consumers and a challenge for e-commerce platforms to enhance security measures and combat the rising tide of GPU fraud.
