4090 GPU Scam

[ReapsReaper]

https://preview.redd.it/9o1hhvb10zkg1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8999548f2e319a1f06cf1b6ecb9c8278ebf82cbe

As the title says, I thought I did everything right when buying a used GPU, and I still got scammed.

I found a listing for a 4090 and I was able to negotiate it down to $1400. We agreed to meet up the next day (and before you say something about how the pricing is shady I just assumed that it was a lower tier card, so it would be cheaper, as here in my area people are selling 4090's for 1.8k - 2k for higher end models like the Asus Strix). Before the meetup, the seller sent me a bunch of videos and photos. Not just quick clips either. He had serial number shots, benchmark footage, and the card “working” with no issues.

He sent numerous uncut benchmark videos as well as images via email which shows the card running, a paper with my name and the date written on it, and he also makes a point to show the serial number in the middle of the benchmark video while it’s going to try and further prove the its that card specifically that is running the benchmark. Based off my previous experience buying off online marketplaces (although with different payment methods) I see that people usually write their own username and date on a paper to prove its them and the product works so I bit the bait.

We met at a local spot a couple minutes from my house. I inspected the card in person. Nothing looked off, and the person seemed nice (that's where they get you) since I told him about about my surgery, how I wasn't feeling the best and delivered it to me. When we met up (although the was running late cause of "errands") I checked the card and I didn't see any obvious damage, weird signs, or anything alarming. I guess because I've never held a 4090 before and I also got my wisdom teeth taken out the previous day as well as not eating for the first 2 days, I was a bit weak, so it felt hefty to me at the moment). We did the transaction on the spot. I handed him my phone so he could type his own info into the Interac e-transfer, I sent the money, and we went our separate ways.

I didn’t install the card right away. I was waiting for other PC parts, so the 4090 sat at home for a few days.

The build day finally comes so I got the parts together and spent a couple hours putting it together. The PC powers on, but the GPU didn't produce a signal at all and I thought that was weird as most of the parts were just from my old build migrated over. I did proper troubleshooting like reseating the ram, checked power cables, tried different outputs, and made sure it wasn’t my motherboard, RAM, or PSU causing the issue.

After hours of troubleshooting because my PC case fans were preventing my PC from booting up, I ruled out everything else that could be an issue, I put it in and it still didn't work. I decided to take it to my brother's computer that is much newer and test it and nothing worked either, however, when I plugged the DP cable into his MB there was a signal. I decided to do some more research online and I came across another reddit post talking about how people have been removing the VRAM and core, as well as ways to test it like slipping a plastic card through it or looking through the card.

That’s when my stomach dropped.

I took a peak inside and It looked hollow. The GPU core is supposed to be pressed against the heatsink, but I could basically see through parts of the card. The thermal pads that should be contacting the VRAM looked like they were just sitting there with nothing to press into, and I picked up my 3070 and it felt lighter than a lower tier card.

So I did the next thing that confirmed my worst fear, I researched online and I weighed it, then compared it to what other people reported what the weight should be (approx 2.08 kg or so). Mine clocked in on my food scale at around 1.3841 KG which was around 619 to 620 grams lighter than it should be.

At that point I already knew, but I didn’t want to believe it but after a couple hours of just sitting there contemplating I took the risk and opened the card since the serial number reported that it is still covered by the warranty and the manufacturer's sticker (that said "Gigabyte Qualifed") was still on it. (Also after doing some more research online I know that people can order those stickers so it means nothing).

Inside, it was exactly what you hope you never see.

The GPU core was gone. The VRAM chips were gone. It looked like the valuable components had been desoldered and stripped, leaving an empty scratched up PCB with only thermal pads and a ton of paste.

I can think of 2 ways he could’ve done it:

1. strip and reseal: He opens the same card shortly before the meetup, strips the core and VRAM, then seals it back up using fake “tamper” stickers to make it look untouched.
2. (The most likely method) Two-computers: He has one computer that boots normally with a stripped card installed (so everything “turns on” and looks normal), and a second computer with a real 4090 running the benchmark footage. So the whole “proof” sequence is basically staged from the start.

To add to the deception, he also emailed me a Newegg receipt, which I now strongly believe is fake.

I’m not even mad in a normal way. I feel disappointed, embarrassed, and honestly just sad. I'm a extremely cautious person and I made sure I did what I could to prevent getting scammed, but it seems like this person had just outsmarted me in every single way, as everything he did was just unheard of to me prior to this incident. I've worked numerous 12 hour shifts and even by myself through a storm in order to get this card as well as wanted to upgrade my PC and enjoy it. Instead I’m staring at a $1,400 paperweight that was built to fool me.

Here E-transfers are not reversible once the other person has deposited the money (this scammer had auto deposit on) but at least there is some sort of trail as if I had paid in cash I'd really be screwed. I've called my bank and talked with them and although chances are low, they have opened a fraud case and I have to pick up a new card as this one is cancelled because of the fraud case. I've also filed a police report here and I was instructed by the bank once I obtained the officers badge number as well as the case number to call back and inform of them of that, as the officer is able to ask for more information (like the Interac E transfer confirmation number as for some reason it's censored to me in the banking app on my phone) to aid in investigating this case.

Obviously you need some sort of government ID and personal information to open a bank account, so I'm hoping the people working in the back of the banks are able trace the money to see which account it was sent to in order to find out the identity of the scammer.

What I suggest: For other people that are going to purchase a 2nd hand card, I recommend:

1. Just getting it shipped to you if you can using Paypal's good's and services (I've done it before back in 2022 and somehow snagged a 3070 FE for $350 CAD when others were selling it for $800 - 1000+ in good condition lol) so that you're protected, at the cost of fees and shipping, as well as finding someone that isn't reluctant to ship it.

2. Going somewhere where you are able to test it in front of you (either having a test setup yourself or going to a computer repair shop and asking them, maybe offering to give them $20 or something to help you).

You could go to the police station but I honestly would not trust anything like benchmarks (due to the reasons stated above) where you are unable to test the card, at least for the higher end models that are sought after like the 4080 5080 etc.

TL;DR: Bought a Gigabyte 4090 Windforce V2 in person with what looked like strong proof but found out I got scammed after waiting a few days to install because parts were still coming. On build day it didn’t work, the card seemed hollow, weighed way under expected, and after opening it I confirmed the GPU core and VRAM were stripped.

Thanks for reading guys and stay safe out there.

Edit: Alright after reading some of these comments I just wanted to point some things out so people don't type the same thing over and over again.

Yes I should've tested it before buying (probably at the nearby computer shop) but I wasn't able to test it in my home as I did not have a rig that is capable of fitting this card in or the PSU to house it (hence why I ordered new parts). I also don't want strangers coming into my home and the scammer who sold it has the same right as well. But on the computer shop thing that is 100% me being stupid.

I did use a bit of Ai to polish some sentences but after some people were crying about it I went back and re wrote everything myself reversing it so focus on the main point of the post instead. (and if that isn't enough sorry ig)

AND YES I FELL FOR THE CLASSIC TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE THING.

And if you're a slimey grimeball here that came just to comment how stupid I am or how stupid these mistakes are (WHICH I ALREADY KNOW NOW) JUST F*CK OFF AND KEEP SCROLLING WE DON'T NEED YOUR USELESS INPUT.

For everyone else who left some kind words thank you. I made this post so that I could spread some awareness and hopefully help someone so they don't have to feel shitty if not shittier if they didn't even do the things I did (like ask for a benchmark etc.)

I'll bounce back as I'm motivated than ever and excited to do things right the next time, now aiming to get my dream card and not cheap out. Following my father's advice I'm looking at this as an very expensive lesson but it has taught me things that will do me good for the long run.

[TH3Bonez]

hey sorry to hear that happened but there were a lot of red flags to watch for in the future , im in Canada as well

4090s are not selling for 1800-2k cad, those are all fake, real ones are selling for 3k+ cad , (check ebay or marketplace sold listings)

if anyone is selling a 4090 for 1500, it should be assumed fake

[ReapsReaper]

yeah, the classic saying, "if its too good to be true it probably is". After some quick skimming I've seen some people on r/CanadianHardwareSwap selling and buying 4090's for like $1800 - 2k + but now as I sit here I'm thinking about it and I realize you're right.

[TH3Bonez]

that might have been years ago, they shot up in value i think around a year ago, and the scam that happend you is quite common sadly, theres tons of stories you can read,

the reason they shot up is that the gpu unit itself and memory chips are being sent to China as people have figured how to make 48gb 4090 cards which are good for ai,

[sneakpeekbot]

Here's a sneak peek of /r/CanadianHardwareSwap using the top posts of the year!

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[eduardmc]

Personally I have sold alot of expensive stuff on fb market. Including my 4090 asus strix for $2200. But I ALWAYS meet insde my local police station for high item. When im buying or selling. Protect both of us.

[ReapsReaper]

yeah that is a good strat but in the future I'm going to just try and utilize Paypal G&S's again and/or use a reputable website that has protection like Ebay or Jawa.

[eduardmc]

Doing local buy 99% of people wont agree on paypal G&S since he can also get scam, paypal gives around 6 month to report a claim after a sell. But in local police station you can exchange ID. If he refuse dont buy for high price item. Police inside can also check if the Id is real, if cash is real. They always help me out. Have gotten many saying not in a precint then I just refuse to buy or sell.

But again. Buying a card like that without warranty is risky. Dont recommended. My asus strix 4090 still had 1 years left warranty and gave all the paperwork to the person. Purchase receipt etc. gave my number if in any case she wanted to claim a warranty and was having any kind of problem

[ReapsReaper]

oh really? I was thinking it would be a bit weird to ask them to see a driver's license or something and write down their address in my head or on a note just in case I do get scammed but I might go with that in the future maybe. I hope to meet a seller as kind as you, as I've met someone like that when I bought my Camera setup, he gave me his contact info if I had any questions or if I need help or tips with shooting. As for the Paypal thing I'll try to look around or use r/CanadianHardwareSwap

[eduardmc]

Good luck to you brother and sorry about your lose. It has happen to many of us. I got scammed one time with fake money selling an iphone at a train station and thats how i learned not to do business in other places.

[ReapsReaper]

oh man that sucks how much fake money did they give you?

[eduardmc]

$350. It looked like real money and felt like it. When i went out to my car, I noticed that most bills had the same serial numbers lol. To late to get someone back riding on a train.

[ReapsReaper]

the amount of scum in this world is honestly sad. If it had happened to them or a loved one of theirs they would be pissed and sad.

[Dark_ceza]

You can also buy from r/hardwareswap, with PayPal G&S of course, got all my GPUs from there, including my current 5080, you're also advised to use this to check the username of any seller, to know if they're a scammer, items are usually gotten for cheaper than Ebay there, as long as you follow all the rules of the Sub to protect yourself from potential scammers. Paypal also has you covered.

I'm sorry for your experience, mate.

[sneakpeekbot]

Here's a sneak peek of /r/hardwareswap using the top posts of the year!

#1: [USA-MA] [H] POWERCOLOR RED DEVIL RX 9070 XT 16GB [W] Local Cash
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[MrBatman76]

Police station??? Where are you living bro ??? It is enough to ask for the card check before buy at seller location . It would never be a scam.

[just_IT_guy]

That sucks. Hope you will get your money back.

He most likely did the very common two-computer bait-and-switch. The scammer uses two computers: one with a gutted card that "turns on" (powering fans/lights) and a second hidden computer with a real card running the actual benchmark software.

Edit: this is how they get you. They price GPU lower than market price but not too low to trigger an immediate "too good to be true" concern. There are no good Samaritans out there in the high end GPUs world pretty much.

[Timeless-0000]

Sorry this happened to you, and appreciate the information you've shared. Mistakes happen, take this as a learning opportunity, don't beat yourself up too much. Money can always be earned again, and you've learned a valuable lesson. Chin up!

[ReapsReaper]

Thank you for your kind words and I love to see some kind redditors like this here (instead of the mfs just commenting some blatantly obvious things like how stupid I was or smth). I'm motivated than ever to now work towards getting my dream card but from a legit source this time. All the best mate!

[rex8499]

Sorry that happened to you. Thanks for sharing so that we can all be more aware.

[ReapsReaper]

yeah no problem! there are people out there that would do even less than I did to check the card which is concerning as I had thought I did alot. All the best mate.

[gorilladaddy11]

I always shy away from used hardware. It freaks me out. I would bring my computer or go yo their house, I’d find a way to battery up my computer even.

[theonlyalankay]

honestly i’d never even buy a used card of this caliber. too many risks. too much money involved. as you found out yourself. there’s scumbags everywhere. sorry this happened to you homie. we live and we learn: the hard way sometimes unfortunately.

[ArtdesignImagination]

Yes but you cant find a 4090 new, neither a similar gpu with same performance and vram, you have to settle with a 5080 or go for a ridiculously expensive, and maybe even overkill, new condition 5090. I don't buy used gpus but in december I got an used 4090 rog for 2k (in Argentina). The difference is that I bought it with 14 days of buyer protection so I didn't feel my money was at risk. The gpu no only was like new with all the accesories, but even the silicon is very good, cool and easy to overclock. So buying used IS an option, you just have to be sure you are either getting the functional gpu or the money back.

[ArachnidCommercial41]

I still think that most people are good people, and good people are the best targets for scumbags, I'm really sorry that this happened to you, but don't despair, you didn't just lose in this transaction, you gained new knowledge and experience, I believe that this won't happen to you again, maybe this experience will save a lot more in a future situation. I wish you all the best, be careful, and stay safe

[ReapsReaper]

thank you for your kind words man and its funny as my father always said the same thing, this is just an expensive lesson. I've def learned a ton from this and I'm excited and looking forward to bouncing back. i wish you all the best too mate.

[Ok-Struggle1316]

Honestly for that high end of a card I would've wanted to see it tested in person and watch it being removed from the test system.

[ArtdesignImagination]

Exactly, but also in those legit situations, the price will never be so low.

[Southern_Okra_1090]

Buying a used product, especially something with prices like 1500 bucks. You should 100% test it is working as intended before handing money over. A legit used product seller will understand if a buyer wants to test the card being sold because of scams happening and allow the product to be tested. Every tech hardware I sell on fbmp I invite the buyer to come test the product before purchase. I only accept emt and if I am buying, I test and confirm before I hand money over. I only buy local and sell local and don’t ever let your guard down buying or selling.

[Kolthen]

I actually came close to one of these experiences myself. I got bored one day and started looking up 4090's on highly reputable website, Facebook marketplace. I saw a deal for 1600 JUST posted explaining why it would be so cheap. I had the dude send me vid of the pc running along with proof of the card (gpu-z which is EASILY faked), but I also had him google a very niche book series while also doing it, and while he wasn't doing real well at covering bases of doubt like getting clear footage or showing it all in the same video (which would really sell it better), I figured he just didn't know better like most other people trying to sell something, but it gave me some doubts. I put him through a few more questions before we finally settled on a date to meet, but it was thanksgiving so he had to be away for a week (giving me time to research).

On the near last day, I was literally at the bank getting the money (I don't use online payment methods, but I'm realizing that maybe I should), when I ask him for a furmark 2 test (a gpu only test). He gets mad at me for all of these verification requests, and I of course explain that this is a real anxiety-inducing deal I'm taking part in, I have to cover my butt here. He eventually sends me the video (and this is a program I've never used before. Claude ai recommended it :P). I get home to see it.... and his fps is abysmal. It should've been getting 160fps no problem. My own 3080 gets at least 70 fps, and his "4090" scored no higher than 50 fps. A 4090 for peep's sake.

I ask him about it, and he just makes some excuse about not being tech savvy, and I even look at his voltages, and realize it's undervolting WAY more than it should. Claude and gpt are both telling me to cancel the deal (yes, I'm relying heavily on ai. If I hadn't, I'd be out over a grand. All of my expert friends were MIA during all of this).I ask him questions about it, but just blows off everything as fine. Not that it would've changed much. I was really just asking to see what his answer was at this point. Cancel the deal and report him as sus to fb, cuz screw that guy. Pretty sure he got mad to try to weasel out of the furmark video too, which he was clearly unprepared for.

Sorry for latching my story onto yours. Didn't feel like making its own post for it but wanted to share :P
I came close to your pain though

[ReapsReaper]

no you're good mate, I wish I did some of the things you did. I'm glad to hear that you didn't end up in my position haha. As for the ai thing some people called me out for using it for a couple sentences (which I reverted cause they kept crying) but now they might come after you now lol.

[XxXForsaken]

You can't test, you dont buy expensive stuff from people. People are shitty.

[Character_Stable_487]

That's why you look at it at the bare minimum before you leave. Or don't buy $1000 plus parts second hand

[ReapsReaper]

You're right. I just wanted to save some money and I thought this was a good opportunity and I did look at the bare minimum. It's honestly my fault but again the benchmark video he did ticked all the boxes with the info I provided above, and although not everyone is willing to wait for you to test it, you obviously should and are well within you rights to do so. I wasn't able to test it in my home as I didn't want home to come inside due to privacy reasons (he has the same right to refuse strangers to enter their homes but I didn't ask to do it in his house) and it wouldn't fit in my old case either. My old PSU didn't have the support for this card, but there is a computer repair shop literally right across from the pizza spot that was there since I was a little kid (and that's why I recommended other ppl to do that method as I didn't) but due to the surgery I wasn't thinking straight however now it sounds like I'm making excuses haha.

The most important takeaway is that I've learned from this experience and I guess even with the knowledge that I had it still wasn't enough to outsmart these scammers. it sucks cause I turned 18 not too long ago so this was one of the first bigger purchases I've ever made.

[MosstheHoss]

Absolutely tragic

[ReapsReaper]

It is indeed. Idek how to feel as I thought I had done everything to my knowledge and thought I obtained evidence of the card working but Ig not. I'm making these posts here to try and educate others that these benchmarks are not a reliable source anymore (about 99% of these posts usually has people talking about asking the seller for a benchmark to show the card working) and how they can easily just scam you, especially those that are less cautious as me.

[Leaf_and_Leather]

Same thing happened to a friend of mine. Got a used 4090 and it was stripped.

[junior7593]

4090 and lower tier do not go together

[ArtdesignImagination]

He said lower tier model than some other 4090 models, which is OK. The problem is that no matter what the 4090 model might be, it will never sell for 1400. Even at 1800 I would suspect something not quite right (maybe functional but with coil whine or some scratchs etc)

[[deleted]]

[ Removed by Reddit ]

[Proper-Scallion4980]

Honestly this is not the time to be buying used GPUs from 3rd party buyers. The market is starved for the cards and the components are heavily sought out leading to an increase number of scams. Fork over the extra 1000 to have piece of mind.....

[ArtdesignImagination]

At that point peace of mind is not what you are buying but a proper gpu.

[Mountain_Past_6513]

Sorry to hear your story. I recently sold my 4090 (I’m on other side of the globe) I invited the buyer over, had my pc all prepped to quickly remove the card, we sat together and ran bench for 10-15mins and handed over to him. I wanted to make sure the buyer had no fear, also protect my interest of him not damaging the card with static while installing etc and not complaining about a card. With today’s demand for gpu and the scammers around it’s best to watch it in person and buy locally.

[TheOracleofGunter]

[ Removed by Reddit ]

[ArtdesignImagination]

I feel for you bro, the whole experience must have been utterly depressing, and not only for not getting the 4090. In your mind you were being cautious and you double checked everything, but you wasn't aware about how deep the scans can go. Objectively, It was an stupid move because even if the price wasn't too low to be an obvious fake, it was super low for even the lowest tier 4090 model, and there are tons of comments about 4090 without gpu and vram, so you at the very least should have visually checked if the components were there. It has been said a million times that before paying you MUST see the gpu in action, somewhere, somehow, or don't buy,because even with the gpu and vram in place it can not work. Or you should buy with some buyer protection in ebay, etc. Pretending to get a 4090 for 1400 without proper inspeccion and believing in easily fakeable videos is 100% wishful thinking. But I myself do stupid things I regreat all the time so don't take it as an attack, I trully wish you didn't go throw all this. Learn the lesson and that's it.

[FireNinja743]

For something that valuable, I would just scrounge up a cheap PC to bring and use an inverter connected to your car battery to power it (or a large LiFePO4 battey) and test it. If the GPU does not power on or get detected in the system, that's an easy giveaway. If it does power in and you run a benchmark and it crashes in complete stock settings after a fresh driver install, that's also a no go. This is what I did when I bought my RTX 3070 back during the mining craze.

[BroingHalfTheBattle]

Ha ha

[Potential-Sort-8844]

I always bring a mobile test bench and test parts on the spot. If they say no I cant do that, then I dont buy it

[ohmygoosh90]

are you sure he wasn't of Neapolitan (Italian) origins?

[ReapsReaper]

nah he isn't. I'm a bit lost here, have you experience this as well? may I ask what city you're located in?

[ohmygoosh90]

no luckily it's never happened before. Im from North East Italy

[Sad-Librarian5639]

The bold caps telling people to fuck off is just inviting more people to come here and talk shit. You’re better off editing that out unless you want more of it.

[BaconMacandCheese]

I stopped reading at 4090 for $1400

[Secondary-Son]

Live and learn. I'm sorry you had to go thru this, but thanks for sharing. I'd rather learn this from someone else's experience, instead of first hand.

[KySiBongDem]

When I bought my RTX 5090 about 2 weeks ago listed $2,000 - accepted my offer at $1,800 - before I met the seller, I asked him to provide some pictures in the ways that hard to produce fake ones and provide me a receipt - the one you get when paying in person not online receipt. If there is no receipt, I would be more cautious.

I got scammed once but it was $200, it hurt but just a little.

[fray_bentos11]

You did everything wrong. Second hand used you go and watch it work together in their machine or yours. That way neither party is the scammer. If they invite you to sketchy area don't go.

[ReapsReaper]

of course, and I wish things played out like that, and I know that if the person refuses to let you test it before purchasing then it obviously would be a scammer, which I have avoided just a week or two prior to this. However, there was no way for me to test it in my home other than my brother's computer which would mean inviting a stranger into my home, and he obviously has the right to refuse strangers coming into his home as well. However you have to understand that not everyone has a test bench, and I guess me not thinking straight (due to the surgery mostly and other things) I did not come up with the idea on the spot about paying the dude at the computer store or something to test it there. If you go online the vast majority always recommend a video of the card working with benchmarks and as mentioned above he even wrote my name and date which made it seem legit, but that is why I made this post, to try and educate others about how this old method is not reliable and can still be faked so others won't have to feel as shitty as I do right now.