As Black Friday approaches, you may be ready to find a great deal on Amazon. But, be careful: scammers will take advantage of heavy shopping traffic to sell counterfeit products, especially popular ones. The latest AMD desktop processors are no exception, with fakes selling for much lower prices on Amazon.
Why you should think twice before buying the AMD 9800X3D
In late October 2024, AMD unveiled its next-generation desktop processor, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Since then, users have been praising its CPU, especially for its performance in gaming. The hype caused the processor to sell out quickly, and sellers like Amazon started running out of stock.
Unfortunately, fake listings have appeared in its place. Although the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has a release MSRP of $479, counterfeit sellers are advertising the processor for $200. With the prevalence of Black Friday tech deals, it’s easy to think this is just a special holiday price. But if you look closely, you’ll see that these are probably bots — not AMD, the actual manufacturer.
How to spot a 9800X3D fake
There are a few simple ways to avoid buying a fake, and this applies not just to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D but to any product on Amazon.
Manufacturer
Generally, when it comes to technology, you should buy directly from the manufacturer whenever possible. If that’s not an option, make sure you’re still buying from a trusted seller. In this case, the manufacturer is AMD, so on the verified Amazon listing for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, you’ll see AMD’s name under the product name and as a brand under the product information.
You can also check Sold by and Shipped by located under the Add to Cart and Buy Now buttons. Most of the time, the seller and shipper will be Amazon, and that’s a good thing – it means you’ll get Amazon’s A-Z guarantee if something goes wrong. If it’s a seller you don’t recognize, you can click on the name and Amazon will show you the seller’s customer reviews. Check them out, and if there are no reviews – don’t trust it.
When processors are fake, we’re seeing brand names like “423634fx” and sellers like “Huangwenjie12334”. When I went to that seller’s page, there were no reviews, which smacks of bot behavior.
Specifications
If you’re more familiar with computers and what specifications are normal for processors, you might also see errors or made-up numbers. You might also see abbreviated or missing specifications.
In this case, you can always find the official AMD product page and cross-reference its specifications.
It’s important to be vigilant to avoid Black Friday scams. Unfortunately, the internet is full of them right now. Since Amazon has a fair amount of bot-fueled listings, you can always check out these alternatives for Black Friday tech deals. A good rule of thumb is: if it looks like a total steal, it probably is. And the steal is coming from you.
