Once again, GPU scammers are making headlines—this time for disguising NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 cards as the much more expensive RTX 4090. The scam, recently uncovered in China, is just the latest in a series of deceptive GPU practices that continue to plague the market.

How the Scam Was Uncovered

The fraudulent GPUs came to light through a post by UNIKO's Hardware on X (formerly Twitter). While inspecting the card, they noticed something was off: the capacitor layout on the GPU didn't match the official RTX 4090 design. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that scammers had actually polished the GPU die and rebranded it—likely with an industrial laser—to mimic a genuine RTX 4090.

This level of detail shows how far some scammers are willing to go to pass off older hardware as the latest and greatest.

Not the First, and Probably Not the Last

Unfortunately, fake RTX 4090s aren't the only cards that have been part of these scams. In the past, fraudsters have also sold counterfeit versions of the RTX 3090 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti. Some buyers have even received blank PCBs—circuit boards with no actual GPU chip or memory modules—essentially worthless.

Why Empty PCBs Are Being Circulated

One reason for the appearance of these hollowed-out PCBs is tied to a larger trend. Some modders and companies strip RTX 4090 cards to repurpose the chips, often doubling the memory in custom configurations. Since RTX 4090 PCBs are double-sided, they're ideal for such mods—but this also leaves behind stripped-down boards that scammers later use to deceive unsuspecting buyers.

Who Loses? The Buyers

At the end of the day, it's the consumers who lose out—often paying premium prices for what they believe is a top-tier GPU, only to discover they've been duped. As these kinds of scams continue, it's a reminder to always buy graphics cards from trusted, verified sources and to be cautious when purchasing high-end tech from lesser-known or unofficial vendors.