**The Red Flag: A Warning about Clicking on Suspicious Graphics Card Ads**

When it comes to buying graphics cards, enthusiasts often find themselves bombarded with conflicting information and enticing deals that seem too good to be true. However, there's one thing that should always raise a red flag: the ad itself. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to identify suspicious graphics card ads and what to do if you fall victim to them.

**Inspecting the Ad: A Closer Look**

When browsing through eBay or other online marketplaces, it's essential to inspect each ad carefully before making a purchase. This is where the seller's feedback comes in – with an excellent rating of 98.7%, it might seem like they're trustworthy. However, even with great feedback, there are still some red flags that should catch your attention. For instance, the seller claims the graphics card is simply "unbranded" or "a generic GTX 1050." This shouldn't raise any suspicions on its own, but let's take a closer look at other physical attributes of the card.

**Physical Inconsistencies: A Warning Sign**

One of the most significant red flags is when certain physical attributes of the graphics card don't line up with what you'd expect. For example, there's no GTX 1050 logo on the card itself. This should raise your suspicions immediately. Additionally, the TDP (Thermal Design Power) listed in the ad seems to be incorrect. According to Nvidia's website, the reference model is rated at 75 watts, not the claimed 115 watts. These inconsistencies suggest that something might be amiss.

**Cross-Checking Specifications: The Final Check**

Before making a purchase, it's crucial to cross-check the specifications of the graphics card against reputable sources like Nvidia's website or online forums. This will help you confirm whether the advertised specs are accurate or not. Keep in mind that even if the seller is being honest about the specifications, there might be some discrepancies between what they claim and what's actually on the card.

**The Seller's Note: A Red Herring**

In this particular ad, the seller leaves a note claiming that the graphics card is a "customized version" of the GTX 1050. They also mention that the interface and performance have changed, but it can still meet most usage requirements in reality. This sounds like a classic scam attempt to downplay the issue while trying to sell you on the product.

**The Consequences of Falling for Scams**

If you do fall victim to one of these scams, what should you do next? In this author's experience, waiting for the card to arrive and inspecting it thoroughly can help identify whether the seller is indeed scamming you. It's also essential to take photos of the GPU under the shroud and heatsink – this will prove that the issue existed from the start. If you've received a refund after filing a claim with eBay, it's best to keep the card as well, since the seller has already proven themselves untrustworthy.

**The Seller's Location: A Hidden Red Flag**

When buying graphics cards online, be aware of the seller's location. Scammers often originate from countries like Hong Kong or China, where it can be challenging to track down and prosecute them. By clicking on the seller's profile first and reading negative reviews, you can prepare yourself mentally for what may occur in the future.

**Staying Safe: Best Practices**

To avoid falling victim to these scams in the future, make sure to always pay through eBay with a verified account. Using PayPal to send and receive money is also highly recommended, as it offers better protection against credit card theft. Never navigate to a third-party site from an eBay ad and pay through their service, as this can put your credit card information at risk.

**Conclusion: Be Cautious Online**

Buying graphics cards online can be a daunting task, especially when dealing with suspicious ads. By inspecting each ad carefully, cross-checking specifications, and being aware of the seller's location, you can reduce your chances of falling victim to scams. Remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is – and it's always better to err on the side of caution when making online purchases.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enit can be tempting to throw money at a deal that appears too good to be true but often times it is I was scammed out of a gtx 1070 listed for a whopping 99 US dollars but i mean come on that should be expected right it was more or less an experiment for me and i have a detailed in this video right here but today I want to discuss scammer strategies in general as they relate to graphics cards and how to spot them with the market hot there are plenty of potential buyers to be fooled the first thing that always catches my eye on a site like eBay is a sweet deal but lately I've noticed prices dipping into uncharted territory for specific cards namely the GTX 1050 if you haven't ready seen these videos from other channels suppose a 1050 scam involves the flashing of some older card essentially fooling the operating system at least on a software level to recognize the card as a 1050 when in fact most of the time on the hardware side the card is something much older usually a 550 or 650 Ti massive performance gap there but the problem associated with clicking an ad like this is that you're bombarded with conflicting information check it out the seller has an excellent feedback at 98.7% they're offering 60-day returns and 100% buyer satisfaction you're even backed by the e-bay purchase guarantee which I mean shouldn't be surprising but still so you feel confident but if you follow through with a bit of due diligence before purchasing you'd notice the card has a few odd traits first off there is no branding on the card it simply marketed as a generic gtx 1050 it even says that the brand of this card is quote unbranded / a generic first red flag second certain physical attributes of this card don't line up on paper for instance there is no GTX and 50 of which I've ever heard boasting a VGA port it's also listed as a 115 watt TDP card though a simple search on Nvidia's website confirms that the reference model is rated at 75 watts this shouldn't be higher unless the card in question uses a custom PCB at which point you'd be paying a premium not receiving a huge a discount doesn't matter much anyway for the 1050 this TDP is wrong another point in this category the GTX 1050 s maximum display resolution is 76 80 by 43 20 whereas the Sat acknowledges a max res of 2048 by 1024 you can also cross check things like core memory frequencies power connections and bandwidth to either confirm or deny your suspicions the good thing here is that the seller is being honest at least with the specifications just not the card as a whole but if none of these quality strike you as odd - be sure to at least scroll down to the item descriptions where things get pretty funny and where our seller in particular left us a very lovely note quote this is a customized version not original the pursuit is the cost performance although the interface and performance have changed it can meet most of the usage requirements in reality I don't even really know what to say this sounds as though it's been written by the same person always selling fake Rolexes in Manhattan this is your final swing if you missed this one you're in for a huge scam strike three in you're out but let's say you do fall for the scam where you purposefully buy into this just to see what will happen what should you do next in my case I was stuck waiting for several weeks before receiving a refund the account was flagged is compromised and restored soon after the original owner and it turns out the card never really existed in the first place what you should do that when a case like this is wait for the card to arrive inspect it take it apart if you have to take a photo of the GPU under the shroud and heatsink this is something that they won't change rights this will prove if they falsely advertised this product and then file a claim with eBay now since you've got buyer's protection you should hear something back soon select the item was not as advertised button and fill in the comment box with exactly what happened and hey you have a photo now for proof of false advertising more than likely you'll be refunded your money after a short waiting period but even better you'll usually get to keep the card too so the joke's actually on the seller in this case call the bluff pay upfront file a claim a profit that's what many do at least know if you're interested in trying that let me know what happens in the comments section below I don't need a 550 ti so I'm not gonna bother going through this thing again I'm simply pointing out the loophole here another thing you can do and keep an eye out for that I didn't mention earlier was the seller location if the graphics cards coming from a place like Hong Kong be very very careful not because of the Asian selling the graphics card more than likely but because these scams do often originate from China it's just a fact that's how it is so I suggest clicking on the sellers profile first and reading negative reviews before closing an order like this it's best to prepare mentally for what may occur in the future by the way make sure you always pay through eBay with a verified account and that you always use a site like PayPal to send and receive money never navigate to a third-party site from an eBay ad and pay through their service because if you thought receiving the wrong graphics card was bad wait until you see what they do with your credit card by the way if you liked this video let me know by give us one a thumbs up I appreciate a thumbs down for the opposite keep a lookout there folks for those scammers they're all over the place especially now on the graphics card Department stay tuned for more videos like this one this is science studio thanks for learning with usit can be tempting to throw money at a deal that appears too good to be true but often times it is I was scammed out of a gtx 1070 listed for a whopping 99 US dollars but i mean come on that should be expected right it was more or less an experiment for me and i have a detailed in this video right here but today I want to discuss scammer strategies in general as they relate to graphics cards and how to spot them with the market hot there are plenty of potential buyers to be fooled the first thing that always catches my eye on a site like eBay is a sweet deal but lately I've noticed prices dipping into uncharted territory for specific cards namely the GTX 1050 if you haven't ready seen these videos from other channels suppose a 1050 scam involves the flashing of some older card essentially fooling the operating system at least on a software level to recognize the card as a 1050 when in fact most of the time on the hardware side the card is something much older usually a 550 or 650 Ti massive performance gap there but the problem associated with clicking an ad like this is that you're bombarded with conflicting information check it out the seller has an excellent feedback at 98.7% they're offering 60-day returns and 100% buyer satisfaction you're even backed by the e-bay purchase guarantee which I mean shouldn't be surprising but still so you feel confident but if you follow through with a bit of due diligence before purchasing you'd notice the card has a few odd traits first off there is no branding on the card it simply marketed as a generic gtx 1050 it even says that the brand of this card is quote unbranded / a generic first red flag second certain physical attributes of this card don't line up on paper for instance there is no GTX and 50 of which I've ever heard boasting a VGA port it's also listed as a 115 watt TDP card though a simple search on Nvidia's website confirms that the reference model is rated at 75 watts this shouldn't be higher unless the card in question uses a custom PCB at which point you'd be paying a premium not receiving a huge a discount doesn't matter much anyway for the 1050 this TDP is wrong another point in this category the GTX 1050 s maximum display resolution is 76 80 by 43 20 whereas the Sat acknowledges a max res of 2048 by 1024 you can also cross check things like core memory frequencies power connections and bandwidth to either confirm or deny your suspicions the good thing here is that the seller is being honest at least with the specifications just not the card as a whole but if none of these quality strike you as odd - be sure to at least scroll down to the item descriptions where things get pretty funny and where our seller in particular left us a very lovely note quote this is a customized version not original the pursuit is the cost performance although the interface and performance have changed it can meet most of the usage requirements in reality I don't even really know what to say this sounds as though it's been written by the same person always selling fake Rolexes in Manhattan this is your final swing if you missed this one you're in for a huge scam strike three in you're out but let's say you do fall for the scam where you purposefully buy into this just to see what will happen what should you do next in my case I was stuck waiting for several weeks before receiving a refund the account was flagged is compromised and restored soon after the original owner and it turns out the card never really existed in the first place what you should do that when a case like this is wait for the card to arrive inspect it take it apart if you have to take a photo of the GPU under the shroud and heatsink this is something that they won't change rights this will prove if they falsely advertised this product and then file a claim with eBay now since you've got buyer's protection you should hear something back soon select the item was not as advertised button and fill in the comment box with exactly what happened and hey you have a photo now for proof of false advertising more than likely you'll be refunded your money after a short waiting period but even better you'll usually get to keep the card too so the joke's actually on the seller in this case call the bluff pay upfront file a claim a profit that's what many do at least know if you're interested in trying that let me know what happens in the comments section below I don't need a 550 ti so I'm not gonna bother going through this thing again I'm simply pointing out the loophole here another thing you can do and keep an eye out for that I didn't mention earlier was the seller location if the graphics cards coming from a place like Hong Kong be very very careful not because of the Asian selling the graphics card more than likely but because these scams do often originate from China it's just a fact that's how it is so I suggest clicking on the sellers profile first and reading negative reviews before closing an order like this it's best to prepare mentally for what may occur in the future by the way make sure you always pay through eBay with a verified account and that you always use a site like PayPal to send and receive money never navigate to a third-party site from an eBay ad and pay through their service because if you thought receiving the wrong graphics card was bad wait until you see what they do with your credit card by the way if you liked this video let me know by give us one a thumbs up I appreciate a thumbs down for the opposite keep a lookout there folks for those scammers they're all over the place especially now on the graphics card Department stay tuned for more videos like this one this is science studio thanks for learning with us\n"