Devastated PC builder orders DDR5 RAM from Amazon, receives DDR2 and some weights — counterfeit 32GB kit a worrying sign of rising return and sales fraud

A buyer in Spain has reported receiving a sealed DDR5 memory kit that contained counterfeit parts, raising fresh concerns about return fraud affecting high-value PC components sold as new through major online retailers, as AI-induced supply shortages cause prices to skyrocket. First reported by VideoCardz after a reader tip, this latest example of memory mail fraud involves an ADATA XPG Caster 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 kit purchased from Amazon.

According to the account, the buyer ordered four identical kits, all of which were shipped from Ireland. Three arrived first, with the fourth following a few days later. One kit was resold unopened, another was installed and functioned normally, and the issue only became apparent when a third box was opened during a later system build. Despite being shrink-wrapped and appearing untouched from the outside, the contents inside were not DDR5 memory at all.

Instead, the box reportedly contained two much older DDR or DDR2-era memory modules with printed stickers applied to resemble DDR5. Alongside them was a thin metal ballast plate that appears to have been included to replicate the expected weight of a genuine kit. The buyer says the stickers could plausibly fool a buyer unfamiliar with hardware components, although on closer inspection, the reader admits the box print quality looks questionable.

A fourth kit was left unopened to allow for a direct side-by-side comparison between a legitimate package and the compromised one. Based on the packaging condition and the mixed outcome across multiple boxes from the same order, the most likely explanation is return fraud, where a previous customer swapped the contents, resealed the box, and returned it, after which it was resold as new.

We’ve seen plenty of examples of this in the past, and it’s an issue that’s only going to become more prevalent given the current state of the memory market. In this case, the addition of a ballast plate suggests an attempt to trick whoever processed the Amazon return by adding weight to the box, as well as tricking the final recipient, who wouldn’t think twice about opening it since nothing would have felt amiss.

According to the buyer, a return request has already been filed with Amazon, though it’s not clear whether a refund has been or will be issued. While recording an unboxing can help document the condition of a product, such evidence is not guaranteed to resolve disputes with retailers or payment providers. In cases where refunds are denied, chargebacks may be the only remaining option.

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