Memory Chip Scam Leaves Travelers Without Data And Photos

A counterfeit of this simple little storage device may leave you without any data.

 It’s no bigger than your fingernail, but this tiny replaceable memory card holds your data, photos and contacts in your phone, camera, iPad, tablet, laptop and GPS. If you buy a fake, you are likely to lose your data and you may damage your equipment. 



Counterfeits of all the popular SD cards including SanDisk^®, Samsung^®, Kingston^® and others are widely available on eBay^®, Amazon^® and Alibaba^®, often at highly discounted prices. Dishonest sellers reap millions in profits, while industry experts warn as much as 80% of online memory is fake. Typically, the cards and packaging look almost identical to the authentic product. 

Could you spot these counterfeit micro SD memory cards purchased on eBay and Amazon? 

Shown (clockwise): Samsung 64GB micro SDXC, Samsung 64GB micro SDHC, Samsung 64GB micro SDHC, SanDisk 64GB micro SDHC, SanDisk 64GB micro SDHC, Generic (unbranded) 64GB micro SDHC. All cards shown here are fake, and have actual capacities under 8GB. (photos: The Counterfeit Report)

The removable micro SD (Secure Digital) memory storage card is an amazing, convenient and trouble-free storage device. When it works, it is unnoticed. When you get a fake, it will be the very core of your frustration, despair and pain – and your data will be gone. 

The Counterfeit Report^®, a watchdog and consumer education website, purchased dozens of name brand counterfeit micro SD cards from eBay, Amazon and Alibaba sellers. Some were models and capacities not even offered in the manufacturer’s product line, yet they were still listed on the websites. 

Consumers cannot determine the actual memory capacity of a counterfeit memory card by simply viewing the capacity displayed on their computer, phone or camera. The counterfeiters are too smart for that, and simply overwrite the real memory capacity with a false capacity to match any capacity and model they print on the counterfeit packaging and card. A free downloadable test program (H2TESTW.exe) will tell you the real capacity of your card. 

All the SD memory cards purchased by The Counterfeit Report from eBay and Amazon were fake and tested at 7GB or less, a fraction of their stated capacity. It was not uncommon for some counterfeit cards to fail during the test process. When the counterfeit memory cards reach their actual capacity, they begin to erase and overwrite existing data. 

The Secure Digital (SD^® ) standard is maintained by the SD Association (SDA). The Secure Digital format includes four card families; the original Standard-Capacity (SDSC), the High-Capacity (SDHC), the eXtended-Capacity (SDXC), and the SDIO. The cards are available in three form factors; original, mini size, and micro size. 

If you are going to trust your data and photos to a SD card, be sure to buy authentic memory cards from authorized retailers or directly from the manufacturer. See TheCounterfeitReport.com for more examples of counterfeited memory cards.   

Website: www.TheCounterfeitReport.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Counterfeit-Report/131568053660579 
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When Doing Your Holiday Shopping For Both High-End & Everyday Products Be Aware Of Counterfeit Products, A Global Criminal Enterprise Soon To Exceed $1.5 Trillion.

Easy distribution, low risk and quick profits for counterfeiters

There are plenty of fake goods – glitzy name brand products worn by the not-to secure person, but what's the harm?  Plenty, says Craig Crosby, founder of the consumer protection website The Counterfeit Report® 

(www.theCounterfeitReport.com). An avalanche of visually deceptive counterfeit products is a funding a global criminal enterprise that will soon exceed $1.5 trillion. "More than likely, it's going to finance some other illicit activity, whether it be terrorism, human trafficking, drugs or some such," says Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") supervisor Bryan Nahodil.  Counterfeiting is hard to prosecute, profitable and easily distributed through internet resources, eBay, Amazon, Craig's List, retail websites and local stores.

That counterfeit Rolex watch or designer handbag slung casually over the shoulder now represents only a fraction of an estimated 750,000 lost American jobs, and a cost to US businesses over $250 Billion annually. Illegal counterfeiting is a successful global criminal enterprise; profitable, difficult to track, un-taxed and widely un-punished.  While consumer awareness is only part of the global solution, counterfeited products are now so visually deceptive consumers often unknowingly purchase hazardous or deadly products. "It's the consumer who ultimately gets hurt" says Crosby.

Could you identify these counterfeit products?  They are all actual counterfeit products.

(photo credit: TheCounterfeitReport.com )  

 

Shown: clockwise; Vans Canvas Shoe, Novartis Lamisil, Gillette Mach 3 Razor Blades, Head Radical Series Racquet, Otterbox Defender Cell Phone Case, Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume, Bear Grylls Ultimate Hunting Knife, iPhone USB Charger, Montblanc Meisterstuck Pen, Streamlight TLR-2 Weapon Light/Laser.

Organized crime has grown counterfeiting into a virtual global ATM for the bad guys, and is funding gangs, criminal activity, human trafficking, and even terrorists says a World Trade Organization report. Counterfeited products are not victimless crimes, but an organized, highly profitable criminal enterprise with sometimes deadly results.

While price and quality were usually an indication that products were counterfeit and most consumers still believe they can identify a fake, "that is simply not true" says Crosby. "Consumers looking for a bargain are handing over good money for bad products at prices near retail believing they are purchasing the real thing."  These products, while visually almost identical to the authentic item, are poor quality and usually fail after being given as gifts or put into use. 

Think you can spot a counterfeit?  "Probably not" says Crosby who reviews hundreds of counterfeit products. "Serious problems and hazards await unsuspecting consumers who unknowingly use counterfeit products every day that are widely distributed via the internet, swap meets and retail stores.  Examples include counterfeit auto air bags, fire extinguishers, medications, electronic components, power equipment and alcohol.

The Counterfeit Report website features over 200 global brands and a wide variety of counterfeit products accompanied by hundreds of product photos to educate and help consumersvisually identify the fakes. "If it's manufactured, it's probably been counterfeited and will likely fool you." says Crosby. 

The distribution process is the same and simple; consumers shopping for "a good internet deal" see website listings displaying the manufacturer's (stock) advertising product photo of authentic everyday products; fragrances, phone chargers, sporting goods, batteries and much, much more. However, what the consumer often receives is an expertly crafted counterfeit; specifically designed, manufactured and packaged to deceive them -- and they are.

Counterfeit products are also purchased specifically to be substituted for locally purchased authentic products and then returned to retailers for a refund. The barcodes scan correctly, and when accompanied by a receipt and still sealed, may go un-noticed by untrained sales staff. The undetected counterfeit is returned to store inventory and sold to an unsuspecting consumer. Crosby occasionally presents counterfeit products to retail employees who are often astonished at the appearance and visual quality of many counterfeit items, yet the retailers usually note the comparative quality differences with side-by-side-comparisons.   

The Counterfeit Report® is the first and only website to provide consumers a free and informative visual guide to detecting counterfeit products, while providing manufacturers with brand protection and direct consumer education. The Counterfeit Report uses photos to show consumers the sophistication of counterfeiters and their ability to create visually identical counterfeit products and packaging of products consumers would never suspect are counterfeited. Consumers can report seeing or purchasing counterfeit products directly to the manufacturer on the website, while manufacturers have an immediate resource to list and update their counterfeit product information in a central venue for the greatest audience exposure.  

Website: www.theCounterfeitReport.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Counterfeit-Report/131568053660579