Unlucky Redditor orders Corsair DDR5 RAM from Amazon and gets sent dummy light sticks instead

A Reddit user bought what they thought was computer RAM off Amazon

Instead, Amazon shipped them a light kit inside a RAM box

The Redditor filmed themselves opening the box to aid with their return

High prices spurred by the current RAM crisis are making it almost impossible to buy a set of computer memory without bankrupting yourself, so it can be tempting to pull the trigger on an eye-catching bargain whenever you see one. But a cautionary tale from social media shows why certain deals might not be all they seem.

That warning comes from a Reddit post from user BupMaster titled “Decided to buy RAM from Amazon despite my better judgement and it happened to me...” That foreboding header hinted at the potentially disastrous situation that was to come.

The poster explained how they decided to buy RAM from Amazon for a setup upgrade, despite hearing stories about return scams. These typically involve a scammer buying an expensive product then returning it with a cheaper, different or counterfeit item, which then gets sent onto an innocent buyer.

"Thankfully I made sure to record my unboxing," the Redditor explained. "Lo and behold I open the package and see that someone swapped the sticks for light enhancement kits instead. Sold and shipped by Amazon too. Hopefully they don't give me too much of a hard time on the return.”

This example highlights how careful you’ve got to be when buying memory — or other in-demand computing components like storage — during this highly unusual era. With RAM in record low supply thanks to the demands of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, scammers are sniffing out opportunities wherever they can. Unfortunately for this Redditor, they ended up falling prey.

Keep your wits about you

Interestingly, Corsair — the company whose RAM BupMaster bought — changed its packaging earlier this year specifically to thwart scammers. Instead of cardboard boxes, the company now sells its memory modules in clear plastic blister packs. The unit received by the Redditor was in a cardboard container, though, hinting that the scammer wanted to obscure their actions.

Another intriguing point about this account is that the scam was not perpetuated by some dodgy website or even a rogue trader on Amazon. The RAM kit was sold directly by Amazon itself, suggesting that someone inside the company swapped the memory modules for the dud product.

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Sadly, this Redditor is far from the only person to have suffered in this way. In the same thread, another user claimed that the same thing happened with a laptop. And we've reported on countless similar cases, suggesting that scams like this are an all-too-common occurrence.

This case also shows how important it can be to record yourself opening a package if you’re at all unsure or wary about it. Doing so gave them the perfect evidence to prove to Amazon that they had been scammed, making the return process much easier.

Amazon is known for being very willing to accept returns, but it’s better to be safe than sorry — especially when buying rare and expensive products like computer memory.

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Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.