Scammers in China Swapped RTX 5080 Graphics Cards for RTX 3060 Cards

Two individuals were arrested in Wuhan, China, for stealing expensive components from esports hotels equipped with high-performance gaming PCs. According to ixbt.com, they carried out a criminal scheme involving the replacement of the latest powerful graphics cards with older budget models. This was reported by Ixbt.com.

The suspects reportedly checked into hotel rooms with powerful gaming PCs several times. Posing as gamers or guests relaxing, they opened the PC cases and replaced modern NVIDIA RTX 5080 graphics cards with cheaper RTX 3060 models purchased in advance. Interestingly, since the RTX 3060 still provided acceptable performance, the fraud was difficult to detect immediately.

Criminal Scheme Exposed

The illegal activity was uncovered thanks to the vigilance of hotel staff. One employee noticed signs around the screws on two PC cases indicating that they had been loosened and removed. An internal investigation was launched immediately, revealing that the original expensive components were missing and had been replaced with older models.

Experts noted that the price of a single RTX 5080 graphics card exceeded half the value of an entire gaming PC. As a result, each replacement caused the hotel management significant financial damage. The total value of the stolen equipment was approximately 80,000 yuan.

Police Action and Legal Consequences

After the hotel administration reported the incident, law enforcement officers launched an urgent search operation. The suspects were quickly identified using their hotel registration details. Police arrested them in the Guangbutun computer district.

During questioning, the men fully confessed and said they had committed similar crimes four times in total at several esports hotels in Wuhan since July of this year. Both suspects are currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.