Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs are right here, and with them come some completely insane value tags. Fancy a top-of-the-range RTX 5090? That’ll be $2,000, please. And we’re not even speaking about third-party takes on these playing cards, a few of which have costs rising above $3,000.
And identical to clockwork, the scalpers have stepped in to snap up each final card and resell them on eBay for much more outrageous costs, as a result of what’s a GPU launch with no wholesome dose of ache and shortage? But this time, the scammers have a brand new trick up their sleeves, and you have to ensure you don’t fall for it.
Throughout the Covid pandemic, GPUs have been arduous to search out as the worldwide provide chain shut down. Scalpers and scammers brazenly and proudly listed their ill-gotten items for sky-high costs with out even bothering to excuse their habits. As you’d count on, folks weren’t joyful.
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This time, the scalpers have a brand new tactic, and it appears designed to generate understanding amongst informal observers, maybe even sympathy. Certainly, browse eBay right now and also you’ll seemingly discover a plethora of listings with some variation on the next title: “Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 32GB (learn the outline).”
And why should you learn the outline? As a result of there, the vendor helpfully explains that they’re not really promoting a graphics card. No, they’re promoting a photograph of the cardboard. Why, you ask? Properly, it’s an anti-bot measure, in fact! How very considerate.
In circumstances like this, the vendor is attempting to border their apparent scamming as really being pro-consumer activism. They’re promoting a photograph with a deceptive itemizing title, they clarify, to trick scalping bots into losing their cash on a non-existent product. “Don’t shut us down, eBay,” they are saying. “We’re the great guys!”
Besides, clearly, they’re not. This isn’t shopper activism, it’s easy scamming. The hope is that patrons determined for a sold-out card will simply learn the “RTX 5090” half, see that the vendor has optimistic suggestions, and hit the Purchase button. Simple money for the scammer and a world of ache for the customer.
And it really works. On the time of writing, I discovered two bought listings over the previous day for an RTX 5090 picture, and that’s simply among the many listings which can be nonetheless energetic. In the event you scroll the bought objects on eBay, you’ll discover dozens of bought listings for pictures of an RTX 5090, all hovering across the listing value of $2,000. eBay would possibly get the patrons their a refund, and the sellers could also be punished, however does that change the truth that this can be a rip-off? I reckon not.
Easy methods to keep away from being scammed
The primary and most blatant warning signal of those listings is correct there within the title. If any itemizing headline accommodates the phrases “learn the outline,” it means that one thing just isn’t fairly accurately, and you could’t take the product description at its phrase. Use that as your first clue.
The second is that these listings and their titles typically comprise uncommon or non-standard fonts. This appears to be an try and evade eBay’s automated rip-off filters and detection techniques, and it’s one thing you’ll often discover among the many rubbish in your e mail spam folder. If a vendor has taken the time so as to add unusual and strange fonts, one thing shady might properly be happening.
In addition to that, every of those faux graphics card sellers has hung out fastidiously constructing their fame on eBay to reassure bidders that they’re legit. The lazy ones will simply purchase just a few low cost objects and hope nobody notices they’ve zero suggestions as a vendor. The extra refined GPU scammers will take extra time, such because the one which bought buying and selling playing cards so their suggestions was stuffed with patrons commending them on their “nice playing cards.”
A number of years in the past, I fell sufferer to a GPU rip-off on eBay. I needed to purchase an Nvidia GTX 980 Ti (I’m exhibiting my age right here) and located one listed near MSRP. The vendor had 100% optimistic suggestions, (admittedly from a comparatively low variety of opinions — one other crimson flag), so I felt comfy coping with them. In the long run, I paid for a GPU that by no means arrived, and it took me months of wrangling with eBay to lastly get my a refund. It was so tough that I nearly gave up.
You see all of those hallmarks in right now’s faux “anti-bot” listings. In the event you come throughout any of those warning indicators, be extraordinarily cautious. When this a lot cash is on the road, it’s safer to report the rip-off itemizing and transfer on.
And if nothing else, the emergence of those scams reveals how far more work firms like Nvidia and eBay should do to stop harmless folks from getting scammed. If common patrons are unable to buy a product earlier than it sells out to scalpers, and if it’s little one’s play to get rip-off listings hosted on eBay, one thing has gone very mistaken.
