$999 RTX 5090 GPU scam claims 42 victims — fanny-pack bait-and-switch tactic employed by top-rated Amazon seller

Aorus GeForce RTX 5090 Master 32G
(Image credit: Gigabyte)

In a shocking ploy, a third-party Amazon seller is luring desperate buyers with a fake GeForce RTX 5090, one of the best graphics cards, for $999, masterminding an elaborate scam that leaves victims outraged and empty-handed. As of now, a staggering 42 unsuspecting consumers have fallen for the scheme, lured by the promise of a GeForce RTX 5090 at half its MSRP.

The GeForce RTX 5090 launched at a staggering $1,999, but the ongoing global NAND shortage has sent prices for this Blackwell gaming flagship soaring to unprecedented heights. Many custom models now start well above $2,500—if you can even find them in stock. So, when a GeForce RTX 5090 is selling for $999, it’s not just a bargain—it’s a glaring warning sign that something is terribly fishy about it. Buyers desperate for a deal may overlook these red flags, making themselves vulnerable to scams and financial loss.

To be fair to the buyers, Fitter's Niche Direct—registered in China—boasts an impeccable reputation on Amazon, with a 99% positive customer rating based on nearly 1,800 reviews. On the surface, the storefront appears completely legitimate. However, looks can be deceiving. A closer inspection reveals only five products: three generic fanny packs, one elastic stretching band, and one suspicious listing for “fitter's niche Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 5090 Master 32G Graphics Card.” We linked the listing strictly for educational and awareness purposes—please do not attempt to purchase the graphics card.

One Amazon buyer said, “These guys are scam artist; they sent me a $1000 fanny pack not a graphics card that I ordered. Don't buy anything from this store.”

Another victim stated, “Ordered a Graphics card and received a fanny pack instead. Now amazon is delaying my return since I returned a fanny pack and not a 5090.”

Aorus GeForce RTX 5090 Master 32G

(Image credit: Amazon)

The Amazon seller did not always engage in fraudulent activity. A review of user feedback reveals that negative comments and scam allegations began surfacing on December 28, 2025. For months prior, Fitter's Niche Direct maintained a spotless reputation, leaving many to wonder what could have triggered such a drastic shift. Did the seller succumb to the lure of quick profits during a high-demand frenzy for graphics cards? Or was the account compromised by a third party, turning a once-reputable storefront into a scam operation overnight?

Regardless of the underlying cause, the impact is undeniable: 42 victims have come forward so far, with the latest case reported as recently as January 12. Each new complaint underscores how quickly this scam has spread and how urgent it is for both buyers and platforms to stay vigilant.

The negative feedback is struck through and comes with Amazon’s added disclaimer: “This item was fulfilled by Amazon, and we take responsibility for this fulfillment experience.” It doesn't affect the seller's reputation. It appears the seller is blatantly exploiting Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) program. If you're unfamiliar with FBA, it’s a program where sellers ship their products directly to Amazon’s warehouses. From there, Amazon handles every aspect of the transaction: storage, packing, shipping, customer service, and product returns.

Since Amazon assumes responsibility for FBA orders, affected customers have likely been reimbursed. However, it remains unclear whether Amazon is absorbing the financial blow from these fraudulent transactions or if the seller is ultimately held accountable. It's baffling and concerning that Amazon has yet to take decisive action and suspend the seller.

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Zhiye Liu
News Editor, RAM Reviewer & SSD Technician

Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

  • Shiznizzle
    Amazons customer review system is a mess, as sellers are allowed to sell multiple, physically different, items and all reviews get lumped together into one. You can essentially sell rubic cubes and then have those numbers appear as positive for 499 dollar MSI Oled's.

    For expensive yet cheaper than anywhere else tech items i film from delivery at the door to the opening of said items. So far so good. The GPU i bought last year for 379 pounds was there.

    Imagine if you made a fake persona complete with bank account and duped 42 people each out of 1000 dollars. That must be a ton of money in rural china. And the person if careful is not likely to get caught.

    What are people doing buying that GPU at that price though? No flags went up? That would send flags up for me right away.
    Reply
  • txfeinbergs
    If you aren't going to do your due diligence when making a purchase, expect to get scammed. These are the same people that fall for the bitcoin ATM scams.
    Reply
  • Jabberwocky79
    Shiznizzle said:
    Amazons customer review system is a mess, as sellers are allowed to sell multiple, physically different, items and all reviews get lumped together into one. You can essentially sell rubic cubes and then have those numbers appear as positive for 499 dollar MSI Oled's.
    Exactly this. It's sooo stupid and frustrating when you are trying to evaluate a purchase.

    Also, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these victims are younger gamers with less life experience. As the article stated, anyone with a pulse on the market and fully developed prefrontal cortex would smell a rat.
    Reply
  • ejolson
    Some time ago I received two stickers instead of two Ryzen 5800X3D processors. It was a similar story where a highly rated seller suddenly started scamming their customers on Amazon.

    I think it's a business model.

    Even though I was not the only customer complaining, it took about 6 months and multiple phone calls for Amazon to refund my purchase.
    Reply
  • vanadiel007
    People should know that nobody is going to sell brand new 5090's for half MSRP.
    I mean, it's obvious there's some kind of catch....
    Reply
  • thewindmind
    I'm happy to know that I reported this scam to Amazon. I didn't fall for it, but I did fall for a 4tb NVMe M2 SSD scam and I'm committed to revenge against all scammers, now.
    Reply
  • Notton
    Shiznizzle said:
    Amazons customer review system is a mess, as sellers are allowed to sell multiple, physically different, items and all reviews get lumped together into one. You can essentially sell rubic cubes and then have those numbers appear as positive for 499 dollar MSI Oled's.
    It's actually worse than that.

    As a seller, you can recycle old ASINs.
    Presumably, Amazon did this so sellers didn't have to start a new product launch with zero reviews -you need 4.5/5 average to get boosted by the algorithm- but it didn't take long to figure out how to abuse it.
    Reply