This was the cleanest proof of hardware scams, as the customer found an entirely different object inside his GPU box.

It must be a unique experience getting scammed right at the shop. GPU and CPU hardware scams aren't uncommon, but not every case is legit. While we can't always prove a case to be true or false, this one was one of the cleanest cases of GPU scam that happened in Russia.

The account @oldValkyrie shares a short video of a user unboxing a GPU, which he bought from a store called Wildberries. It was the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Ti for which he paid nearly 90,000 rubles, or $1,125. RTX 5070 Ti at over $1,100 is quite an expensive purchase since the GPU launched at $750. Nonetheless, one would expect the GPU to be in good condition after paying a hefty price.

However, the user decided to open the GPU box right at the store itself. The package appears legit, and the box was sealed-pack as you can see in the video. However, when he opened the box, it contained a 2-liter water bottle instead. Seeing the bottle inside the box, the customer smiled as he was surprised, but moreover, he must have been relieved after having recorded the whole process at the store itself.

We have seen such scams previously as well, including cases where the GPU boxes were filled with random objects . In most cases, someone in the supply chain is responsible for the removal of such hardware. We have seen that this sometimes happens right when the GPU ships from the vendor's factory. However, in this case, it's difficult to conclude where the exchange occurred.

Nonetheless, the customer would have been able to get a replacement after having solid proof. More importantly, it highlights the necessity to record the whole unboxing to remain on the safe side. Watch full video here:

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