An eBay seller of the Nvidia RTX 4090 was scammed by a buyer who returned the card with the GPU and VRAM removed

eBay RTX 4090 scam revealed GPU and VRAM removal trick.

: Selling advanced technology like the RTX 4090 comes with risks, as discovered by piscian19 on eBay. Despite having over 30,000 positive reviews, the buyer deceitfully returned the card without GPU and VRAM. The component removal was detected when piscian19 checked after noticing bent parts. This incident raised concerns about fraud, leading to eBay intervening with a unique refund to the buyer.

The seller, known as piscian19 on Reddit, encountered an unfortunate situation while selling an Nvidia RTX 4090, a top-tier graphics card in high demand due to the ongoing industry shortages. Initially, the seller was confident in the transaction due to the buyer's impeccable record of over 30,000 positive reviews. However, suspicion arose due to the buyer purchasing the graphics card at retail price when it seemed unlikely for a business to do so.

To ensure the safe selling of the Lovelace flagship model, piscian19 documented the condition of the card extensively through photographs and opted for maximum insurance protection. Everything seemed in order until the buyer claimed that the card faced a 'no video' issue, a contradiction to the card's pristine and barely used condition when it was sent. This claim coincided with the exact day the business received the card.

Upon receiving the returned card, piscian19 observed physical signs of tampering: a bent mounting bracket and crossed RGB wires. Further inspection revealed a more egregious act—the GPU and VRAM chips were removed. This manipulation suggested malicious intent, prompting piscian19 to contact eBay. Fortunately, eBay allowed him to retain both the card and payment, while the buyer was surprisingly also refunded.

Investigations into the buyer's history revealed multiple fraud reports to the Better Business Bureau. This business was involved in fraudulently disassembling RTX 4090s, a lucrative scheme potentially connected to a larger operation wherein components were reused in makeshift AI solutions bound for the Chinese market. Although the buyer's positive feedback suggests reliability, suspicions arose that the account might have been compromised or hacked.

This incident mirrors previous reports, notably from November 2023, when Chinese firms were disassembling RTX 4090s. These components were repurposed for AI applications, highlighting broader security concerns within the tech resale market. Given these challenges, there is a heightened need for cybersecurity measures and stricter fraud detection practices in platforms like eBay to protect sellers and ensure market integrity.

Sources: TechSpot, Reddit, Better Business Bureau

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