{
  "id": 2359442,
  "title": "DDR5 scalper bots now outnumber shoppers 10 to 1 — automated scraping hits listings every 6.5 seconds as 32GB kits surge from $72 to $392, DataDome researcher says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/ddr5-scalper-bots-now-outnumber-shoppers-10-to-1-automated-scraping",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-21T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/scalper-bots-now-outnumber-human-shoppers-10-to-1-on-one-retailers-ddr5-pages"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Automated scraping bots now outnumber legitimate shoppers on DDR5 memory product pages by a ratio of 10 to 1, according to Jérôme Segura, VP of threat research at DataDome. This marks a dramatic increase from a previous 6:1 ratio reported in March. The cheapest 128GB DDR5-6400 kit has surged to $3,399, ten times its previous low price. The chief of Thales predicted bad bots will account for 40% of all web traffic, a figure higher than Segura's DDR5-specific estimate. Bad bots targeted industrial module makers, DIMM socket suppliers, and consumer brands, making 551 visits per listing every six and a half seconds. These bots bypassed cache data and exploited cache-busting parameters. DataDome's methodology remains undisclosed, and the 91% figure is based on a single retailer. RAM supply to independent module makers could fall to just 30% of 2026 levels next year, with DRAM contract prices expected to rise 13% to 18% in Q3. Market players have placed deposits for most of 2027's DRAM output. A 32GB DDR5-6000 kit that cost $72 last year now averages $392, while a 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo kit sold for $836.54 on eBay, double its retail price. Major retailers like Framework, Micro Center, and Newegg have implemented measures to combat scalpers, such as limiting bundle purchases or selling in-store only.",
  "summary": "Bad bots account for 91% of the traffic reaching one retailer's DDR5 memory product pages, roughly 10 automated requests for every legitimate visit.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}