- Scalpers target DDR5 RAM as AI demand tightens global supply
- Automated bots land on DDR5 listings six times more often than real buyers
- More than 10 million scraping requests blocked in a single campaign
You’ve probably seen the chaos scalpers can cause, as limited edition sneakers, steals, major concert tickets, and the PlayStation 5 have all seen prices skyrocket as bots buy up inventory in seconds and flip it for profit, pricing ordinary buyers out of the market.
DDR5 RAM is the latest target for scalpers, as in the face of growing shortages, automated purchasing tools are evolving rapidly, making a bad situation even worse.
Increasing AI workloads are driving this pressure. Training large language models and running inference servers requires large amounts of memory, and manufacturers are shifting production toward higher-margin AI-focused products, such as HBM, tightening the supply of mainstream DDR5.
10 million scraping requests blocked
Recent research by Galileo’s threat team found that scalping bots access DDR5 product pages nearly six times more often than legitimate buyers. During a single campaign, more than 10 million scraping requests were blocked.
Over a one-hour sample, the bots performed 50,000 queries on 91 DDR5 lists. Each product page was checked an average of 551 times, which translates to stock checks every 6.5 seconds.
It wasn’t limited to flashy RGB kits for PC enthusiasts. The bots targeted the entire supply chain, from consumer modules from Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and Lexar to OEM and industrial suppliers like Micron and Apacer.
Even upstream components such as DDR5 DIMM sockets from Amphenol and TE Connectivity are being monitored, indicating strains across the entire supply chain.
The automation is deliberate. Almost all queries have cache bypass settings, sessions consist of a single page access and exit, and there is no browsing or shopping cart activity.
Traffic flows in a flat, mechanical pattern seven days a week. When technical problems arise, activity drops instantly, then immediately returns to full volume, a pace that no human purchasing model follows.
Just like sneakers and consoles, automated purchases exclude repeat customers. The difference here is that the frenzy is fueled not by hype, but by AI infrastructure.
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