Dec 24, 2025 14:40:00

Report of 'switch fraud' where DDR4 is delivered when buying DDR5 memory on Amazon

Demand for AI has led to memory shortages and rising prices. Samsung has

increased the price of its latest DDR5 memory standard by more than 100% since 2020, and the price of the previous-generation DDR4 memory has risen to about three times its previous price , making it difficult to obtain. Meanwhile, some customers have reported being scammed by Amazon, where customers have reported that their DDR5 memory is actually DDR4, despite the exterior being DDR5.

Unlucky Amazon shopper orders DDR5 memory but gets DDR4 hidden under the heatspreader — RAM sold as new was a switcharoo | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/unlucky-amazon-shopper-orders-ddr5-memory-but-gets-ddr4-hidden-under-the-heatspreader-ram-sold-as-new-was-a-switcharoo

Reddit user Leading-Growth-3861 (Growth) posted that the contents of his new DDR5 case had been replaced with older generation RAM. Growth said that when he checked the RAM he purchased to build his PC, he noticed that the metal heat sink attached to the long, thin memory stick was slightly loose. He still tried to insert it into the motherboard, but it just wouldn't fit, which is when he realized he might have been scammed.

The RAM he posted is shown below. It was purchased brand new as DDR5 memory, and the case even says 'DDR5.' However, after disassembling the RAM and inspecting the contents, Growth discovered that the DDR5 memory sticks had been replaced with the previous-generation DDR4 memory sticks.

DDR5 and DDR4 not only differ in data transfer speed and maximum capacity, but are also physically incompatible because they only support dedicated slots on motherboards. Therefore, the fake DDR5 memory that Growth had replaced could not be connected to the motherboard he was assembling. While DDR5 offers advantages such as high speed and large capacity, its price has risen sharply due to supply shortages and increasing demand, making replacing it with the relatively inexpensive DDR4 memory a clear scam.

In the past, there have been similar reports of people purchasing DDR5 SDRAM memory on Amazon being scammed into receiving 'old DDR2 memory with a sticker that resembles the heat sink label of DDR5 memory.' In this case, a metal plate was included in the box as a weight to disguise the weight difference.

Ordering DDR5 memory on Amazon leads to fraud with DDR2 memory and weights - GIGAZINE

According to Growth, the product in question was listed as 'sold and shipped by Amazon.' While it's possible that this is an issue on Amazon's side, it's also possible that the product in question may have been swapped and returned in the past. Growth reports that they received a refund from Amazon after reporting the fraud. However, since photos of disassembled products after unpacking may not be sufficient evidence of fraud, technology media outlet Tom's Hardware advises, 'When ordering PC components, we recommend that you always record the unpacking process on video to avoid a similar situation.'