In a recent incident reported by Chinese media outlet HKPEC, a customer in Hong Kong fell victim to a new type of scam involving graphics cards. The fraudster sold the customer an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, but upon receiving the product, the customer discovered that it lacked an actual GPU. Instead, the graphics card was filled with third-party components, leaving the buyer out of HK$13,000 or US$1660.
This incident, while the first of its kind to be reported, raises concerns about the future prevalence of this type of scam in Chinese markets. The victim, known as Mr. Hong, reached out to HKEPC to share his experience after receiving no support from local authorities. He had purchased the GPU from an individual selling it on the “Carousell” marketplace in Hong Kong. After inserting the graphics card into his computer, Mr. Hong noticed that the ARGB lights were on, but the GPU itself was non-functional.
Upon further investigation, Mr. Hong discovered that the graphics card had been stripped of its essential components, including the onboard PCB. The seller had deceived him by removing these vital parts and providing a fraudulent product. Unfortunately, local authorities refused to cooperate with Mr. Hong, citing the difficulty of following up on second-hand transactions.
The GPU scam in China may gain traction due to the current state of the country’s GPU market. With the US Government prohibiting the sale of NVIDIA’s flagship Ada GPUs in China, scammers may take advantage of this by capitalizing on the demand for GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards.
Additionally, Chinese factories have been repurposing a surplus stock of gaming GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs for AI solutions. These GPUs are disassembled, and their components are shifted to new PCBs designed for AI servers. As a result, the existing coolers and PCBs are rendered useless and sold at low prices. Fraudsters can easily attach these coolers to fraudulent PCBs and create an illusion of functionality, despite the lack of an onboard GPU or memory.
To avoid falling victim to these scams, consumers in China are advised to exercise caution when purchasing GPUs from online marketplaces like Carousell. It is recommended to opt for official channels or physically inspect the product before buying. Alternatively, waiting for the release of the officially retailing RTX 4090D could be a safer option for those in search of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU in China.
The source of the article is from the blog reporterosdelsur.com.mx