Off-Topic > Off-Topic - Tiny Core Lounge

counterfeits and fakes continue, buyers be aware and do due-diligence always

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CentralWare:
ValidDrive and its "spot-check" is actually a reasonably "quick" test 90+% of the time -- in a few instances it crawled as the fakeware on the bogus flash (eg: "Shannanzi USB3.0 512GB") couldn't make heads or tails of the addresses that were thrown at it and choked.  Out of three known "bogus" flash chips we tested (512GB China uSD - three different "brands" -- or "labeling" on the chips at least) all three were detected as fakes, their "real" size was properly detected (not that it matters as the firmware makes even the real physical size unreliable at best) and the amount of time it took for each averaged less than a minute (compared to byte-for-byte testing, that's nothing!)


--- Quote from: patrikg on February 09, 2024, 01:37:00 AM ---Truth be told, where there is money to be made, there are always crooks around.
--- End quote ---
So sad...  but so true.

gadget42:
this was a previous forum entry regarding counterfeits, fakes, and frauds:

https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,26583.msg171356.html#msg171356


--- Quote from: gadget42 on December 01, 2023, 04:40:46 AM ---"brands" would relate to "resellers" and would be an unverifiable number in any case.

just try to get a valid/official chain-of-custody AND certifications-of-authenticity(for all the assemblies/components/processes) on even _one_ product!

the whole planet is awash with fake stuff!

for example, how do you KNOW each and every specified component at the motherboard level is authentic/real on a TALOSII that you just paid $10K for?
https://www.raptorcs.com/TALOSII/

what about all the components in the controls on civilian AND military rockets/missiles/biological-and-chemical-release-systems/weapons-of-mass-destruction-and-murder?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQUXuQ6Zd9w

--- End quote ---

referencing TALOS reminded of this unboxing commentary:
https://tenfourfox.blogspot.com/2018/04/unboxing-talos-ii-its-here.html

CentralWare:
Split topic: Counterfeit and fake flash devices - let's fight back!

jazzbiker:
Hi!

Thanks for warning about the problem anyone may face. I see many people take participation in the struggle with fake flash. They write articles, write sophisticated code, create and maintain repositories, produce issues and pull requests... But does the problem really worth so much efforts? Isn't it enough to fill the drive with any non-repetitive sequence and then verify it? Why so much hype and movements? Just as the mean to attract as much attention as possible? But I guess anyone who will once face the problem will be aware enough :-) Others will continue spending their still lives, not bad too.

CentralWare:
@jazzbiker: In the past two months, we've ordered a few dozen 512GB flash based devices (SD cards, MicroSDs, USB sticks, etc.) from numerous vendors. Our local hardware store (55+ minute drive... and I call it local) sells these cards legitimately for $35 and the quality is reasonably solid.  Some of these "fake" vendors will go as low as $11 USD for a 512GB, I'm guessing with the mentality of "...stealing $11 is better than trying to get $30 and having fewer victims!" so even though there's a slight chance of financial loss, I've paid $11 through $28 for many different China brands and every single one of them is a fake.  In fact, only one China chip was what it claimed to be...  but it claimed to be 400GB.

400GB isn't "a thing."

More than likely, it was SUPPOSED to be a 512GB but the die likely cut quite a few rejects where 400 of the 512 was usable...  so technically they're defective but they passed testing!

Now, to make fun of the problem, these same "fake" vendors are using naive shoppers as their newest victims by hacking old 1GB and 2GB SD cards and selling them as 128MB, 256MB and 512MB...  most people don't "realize" that "MB" hasn't been manufactured in YEARS and it's not the size you're after, but these MB cards are selling like hotcakes because they have the right NUMBERS ("...my son told me to buy a 256...") and the hacks are LEGAL (if you buy a 512MB card --- you're GETTING 512MB!) so resellers, banks, credit card companies, etc. aren't as willing to approve charge-backs/refunds as you end up getting exactly what you purchased, even though you just paid $25 for a 256 MEGAbyte SD card!!!


--- Quote ---does the problem really worth so much efforts?
--- End quote ---
Sometimes.


--- Quote ---Isn't it enough to fill the drive with any non-repetitive sequence and then verify it?
--- End quote ---
To fill an SD card of 512GB at ~25MB/s...  I'm guessing that's about six hours of just writing to the card, another 3-4 hours verifying the data ~40MB/s... all for a $35 card that I know where I can get legitimate ones...  but our clients don't.  Their friends and family...  they probably do not as well. If I educate just ONE client, there's a possible impact of 20 or more people.  If all of them were "informed consumers" that's potentially HUNDREDS of dollars saved from theft.

Most clones/fakes start at 128GB these days, but there are plenty of the smaller ones still in circulation.  Plus, there's the MB issue, too.

We hunt down the bogus "brands" and where they can be purchased from and we find legitimate ones in the process.  Sharing this information doesn't put the bad guys out of business, but if enough people know how to look for problems, that's $XXX.xx the bad guys aren't making!

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