Thieves are starting to steal RAM now that it's as expensive as gold — a memory kit disappears in the snail mail at four in the morning with a bogus signature

A PC builder who ordered new RAM found nothing but an empty package on arrival, according to a thread posted November 28 on the PCMR Reddit. The user said the parcel — which included a Crucial 32GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM memory module — had been reported as delivered at 4:15 am with a fake signature.

While this case involves a single buyer and a single courier, it sits within a broader trend. Posts across Reddit’s PC hardware communities show a pattern of components disappearing in transit, particularly small and valuable parts that are easy to pocket. In several threads, customers recount receiving empty boxes and cartons filled with low-value household goods. Some deliveries were marked as completed before the buyer even had a chance to check the doorstep.

The recurrence of these and similar stories has sparked an ongoing online conversation about who is responsible when a package arrives looking wrong and what evidence helps when a retailer questions the claim. Parcel theft is rising in the UK — where sellers remain legally responsible for packages until they’re handed over to the lawful recipient — and the U.S., where regulators and consumer-rights groups have noted an increase in complaints tied to delivery disputes.

In many of the cases described online, buyers say they are asked to secure a police incident number before a retailer will process a refund. That can be straightforward when the package has clearly been tampered with on arrival. However, several Reddit users describe being passed back and forth between the retailer, courier, and local police as each side tries to assign responsibility to someone else.

Unfortunately, package theft is especially problematic when you’re putting together a custom build. A missing memory kit can halt an entire upgrade, and a stolen GPU or CPU can leave someone with a half-assembled system and an RMA window ticking away on the parts that did arrive intact. That’s not to mention ongoing challenges related to supply chain uncertainty and price increases that add more time and cost.

Many buyers who have been stung by this before take similar mitigating steps. They photograph the parcel before opening it, record the condition of any tape or labels, and film the unboxing if the item is especially valuable. Several say they avoid doorstep drops entirely for components and instead use staffed pickup points, parcel rooms in buildings, or secure lockers. Others fall back on credit-card chargebacks when an investigation stalls.

With high-end components now being shipped in increasingly smaller, lighter boxes, they pass quickly through a network that often leaves customers to prove that the package they opened is not the package that left the warehouse.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.