Key Takeaways
- A gamer received a brick instead of the RTX 5080 GPU they ordered from the official PNY store on Amazon.
- The incident raises concerns about potential supply chain fraud, as the package passed weight inspections.
- Similar scams have been reported, including customers receiving pasta, rice, and blocks of metal instead of GPUs.
- The customer has requested a refund and hopes to receive the correct GPU soon.
- This situation highlights the risks of online shopping, even from trustworthy sources.
Many PC fans often spend a long time waiting to upgrade their graphics processing unit (GPU). However, what was meant to be a thrilling moment for one gamer turned into a letdown, as they received a brick in stead of a new GPU.
A Shocking Discovery
On Reddit, a user by the name of GlassHistorical5503 shared their experience in the PC Master Race community, posting a photo of the RTX 5080 box they had ordered. To their surprise, when they opened it, they found a brick snugly packed in the anti-static bag that is typically used for graphics cards. Instead of receiving one of the top GPUs available, this Reddit user ended up with a piece of construction material.
A Trustworthy Source
What makes this situation alarming is that the GPU was bought directly from the official PNY store on Amazon, meaning there was no sketchy third-party seller involved. This raises concerns that someone in the supply chain may have swapped the actual GPU with the brick before it got to the customer.
For reference, a typical brick weighs between two and three kilograms, which is about the same as a premium GPU like the RTX 5080 (including its packaging). In essence, the scammer made sure the package would pass automated shipping inspections, since the weight was quite similar.
A Pattern of Fraud
This isn’t an isolated incident—if we accept what Reddit users have reported. There was an earlier case where a Redditor in the Netherlands ordered an RTX 5090 from Amazon, only to find pasta and rice in the box instead of a GPU. In yet another surprising scenario, a Newegg customer who paid for an RTX 4090 received blocks of metal instead.
Regardless, the customer has already requested a refund through Amazon, and we hope they soon receive a proper RTX 5080 to replace the one that was never delivered.
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