As with every PC component crisis, as soon as prices soar, scams flourish. A case in point is this Amazon reseller who ships fanny packs instead of RTX 5090s for $999.99. Scammers take advantage of buyers’ credulity to rip them off!
RTX 5090 at $999.99? No, they’re fanny packs!
On American Amazon, a marketplace reseller called Fitter’s Niche Direct, registered in China, was selling an RTX 5090 at a price too good to be true. In fact, the card was listed at $999.99. However, given the context, such a price is highly suspect, and with good reason. Under normal circumstances, it’s already half the card’s advertised price. And in the current context, where this model is either out of stock or available at outrageous prices (over €3,000), it’s too good to be true.
And yet, according to our colleagues, 42 customers placed orders and ended up with… Banana bags. In contrast, it has to be said that the store seemed trustworthy. Yes, it had many positive reviews: 99% out of nearly 1,800 reviews. That’s something to be confident about. On the other hand, looking at the store’s catalog, seeing a Prenium graphics card in the middle of fanny packs and stretching elastics is enough to arouse some suspicion.
Unfortunately, some customers are having trouble obtaining a refund, since users are obviously returning items different from those ordered, and Amazon is dragging its feet. In any case, before you buy, try to gauge the context in which you’re operating. If you come across a €1,000 card when all the others are selling for three times that price, there’s something fishy going on. Likewise, don’t hesitate to take a look at the retailer’s catalog (especially true for marketplace products).
If you find an RTX 5090 between a potato and an onion, beware. As you’d expect, positive reviews are no guarantee of a serious seller. The account, which may originally have been very reliable, may have been hacked in order to set up this scam.
