Recently, we had a client come in to the office with a high capacity thumb drive, specifically an off brand 2 Terabyte model.
It did not appear to be marked correctly, and even listed compatibility with operating systems that could not recognize drives of that size. Due to that, I explained that there were some concerns about quality and reliability of that drive. The client then stated that they had purchased it for a very low price, which mostly confirmed that the drive should be discarded. While researching the drive online, I searched an online retailer for a “16TB SSD,” and was immediately met with drives priced less than $100 with unknown brand names.
Scammers have also been editing existing listings for a product when they are selling a completely different item. That way, sellers can maintain the high reviews and make the new product look highly rated. One drive had reviews that were clearly reviews for blankets, and not for external storage devices. Another way to determine if a product is valid, is to compare prices. If a drive is showing as considerably cheaper than a comparable product, it is probably counterfeit. Those drives listed above are off brand, and claim to be an SSD. Mechanical drives are less expensive than an SSD, and even the mechanical ones are listing for near $400.
There will always be bad actors and scammers on the internet, but having someone working for you and helping you with your technology needs will help offset this risk. Frankenstein Computers is more than happy to help you with your tech needs, and can help you avoid scammers by verifying the products that we offer our clients.
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