“RAM scams” are growing rapidly as prices continue to climb higher
Scams are not new to the internet, of course, and ones targeting hardware shoppers are prevalent now. For years, victims have received shipments in which premium graphics cards are replaced with outdated hardware or in which counterfeit substitutes circulate. Now, the same is happening with RAM sticks, whose prices are skyrocketing. A recent incident highlights, once again, why buyers may want to record the unboxing process when receiving costly items.
According to a report by VideoCardz, a reader recently alerted the outlet to a RAM package scam linked to an Amazon order. Instead of receiving two XPG Caster 16GB DDR5-6000 CL40 memory sticks (now costing up to $300), the buyer discovered outdated DDR2 modules glued to metal weights.
What’s concerning is that the package arrived shrink-wrapped and initially appeared authentic. This incident resembles earlier scams in which customers opened boxes labeled as high-end graphics cards, such as Nvidia’s RTX 50 series, but found older GPUs or unrelated contents, such as backpacks, rice, pasta, putty, or metal weights. In some cases, the graphics cards lacked essential components such as the GPU and VRAM.
Experts tie this type of scheme to return fraud. In such situations, scammers buy original high-end hardware, keep the original product, and return a resealed package of similar weight to obtain a refund. Sellers who believe the item is unopened may then resell it to another unsuspecting buyer.
Scammers are likely focusing on RAM due to historic supply shortages and sustained price increases driven by the AI boom. Planned AI data centers have already secured a large portion of limited DRAM and NAND production capacity, pushing prices higher and potentially keeping them elevated through 2028.
These pressures have contributed to declining motherboard sales, higher costs across multiple product categories, and the discontinuation of Crucial, a well-known memory brand that dates back to the 1990s. Experts also warn that delays could affect future releases of graphics cards and gaming consoles.
Consumers are advised to remain cautious when purchasing SSDs, as prices for those products are also rising.
Getting refunds for opened electronics with the claim that they are fake almost always ends with failure, leaving the end buyer footing the bill for the scam. Thus, experts advise filming the unboxing of new, pricey hardware purchased online. That might add some inconvenience to the unboxing, but in the case of fraud, it provides compelling evidence for the victim.
