PCWorld reports that scalper bots are making it harder and more expensive to buy RAM, with bots accounting for 91% of traffic at one retailer. DDR5 RAM prices have surged 500% year-over-year, driven by AI data center demand and third-party resellers inflating prices on platforms like Amazon and Newegg. Popular kits such as the G.Skill Flare X5 are being heavily marked up, making PC building significantly more costly for everyday consumers. When an in-demand product gets scarce, the vultures of consumerism descend. Resellers insert themselves between something people want and suppliers, sucking up every possible dollar to be made. So it went with GPUs and webcams and toilet paper in the pandemic, so it goes with RAM in 2026. For at least one retailer, over 90% of the web traffic for RAM listings came from "scalper" bots.

DataDome, a cybersecurity company, announced that it has raised $35 million from Elephant, and its historical investor ISAI. The firm is known for its Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that uses artificial intelligence to protect the data of companies suffering from fraud committed by malicious robots. This investment will allow DataDome to strengthen its teams. Founded in 2015 by Fabien Grenier and Benjamin Fabre, DataDome is a cybersecurity company whose main mission is to help companies protect their data and digital activities. A fast-growing demand: bot fraud attacks are constantly on the rise as they are up 47% over the last six months.