Portrait Of An American eBay Fake Flash Memory Seller – ClickToBlue. Buying Cheap Fake Flash Memory – Viruses As The Bonus. Damage To Laptops and PCs.

Is flash memory fraud only coming from eBay sellers in Asia? No. Many eBay members believe you can avoid being scammed by buying from local eBay sellers based in their home country. Unfortunately this is not true. You can just as easily buy a false capacity usb flash drive, mp player or memory card from a local eBay seller.

ClickToBlue was an eBay seller registered in the United States. He sold 16GB fake usb flash drives. FakeFlashNews tried to warn eBay members in April 2009.

Did You Buy A 16GB USB Flash Drive From eBay Seller clicktoblue? Fabulous Prices And Below Cost – Cheap. Debate between SOSFakeFlash and TechReporters At FakeFlashNews

He sold these 16 GB usb flash drives for only $19.95 US! Of course they were fakes but he exploited the fact he was a USA seller. People afraid of buying a fake, thought he was safe. A lot of sellers will try to promote themselves by including their country in image listings. It gives a false sense of security.

Later in September 2009, five months later, SOSFakeFlash was able to issue an official alert: clicktoblue Ebay Fake Flash Seller – United States

Did that stop clicktoblue from frauding people in the United States? No.

Instead he escalated in advertised size to 32GB.

So in October 2009, SOSFakeflash issued: American Fake Flash Memory Seller Returns For Another Round Of Fraud On eBay. Accomplished In Claiming Defective, Rude To Buyers – clicktoblue.

Awareness started to increase on the internet about this American fake flash memory seller clicktoblue. At last negative feedback started to pour in. Finally he was suspended by eBay.

It took 10 months until eBay members woke up and applied enough pressure to have him removed.

Will he be back?

You can bet he will try once his suspension is over. He does have a high feedback number and fake flash memory sellers are reluctant to surrender ids like that.

Still the efforts of the FrankenFlash project have made the global public aware of this id. If he does try to come back and sell fake flash memory he won’t have as long an opportunity. He will be discovered by frauded buyers.

The sad part about the victims of clicktoblue? Most buyers lost their money. As recorded in feedback, eBay ignored the pleas of members. clicktoblue refused to answer email or refund. Most fake flash member sellers do, once they are discovered.

One buyer reported receiving viruses, not uncommon with reprogrammed usb flash drives. In fact this is very common.

The reprogramming frequently is done on infected machines. In a lot of cases, the infected flash drive is used as a master. This master is used in a unit which clones many usb flash drives simultaneously.

Having to spend an additional $200 to repair a personal computer damaged by a fake usb pen stick must have really hurt. A lot of buyers who purchase cheap usb flash drive fakes, end up with viruses and repairs to their machines. It’s not an unusual and it happens a lot. It’s a terrible experience for people who buy on eBay and the financial consequences a hard lesson.

eBay is not the place to buy usb flash drives. It is just too dangerous. It really does not matter if the eBay seller is based in Asia or in your own country – if you buy them on eBay you place yourself at risk.

Price is usually the strongest indicator that you are about to purchase a fake, but not always. SOSFakeFlash reports many fraudulent sellers, aware of the FrankenFlash Projects work to expose sellers, have started to raise prices so they will not be spotted or obvious.

American eBay seller ClickToBlue is a perfect example of how you can buy a fake outside of Asia. It makes it clearn fake flash memory is not exclusive to eBay sellers in Asia.

An interesting article from CBC News

The frankenflash project has been warning people about counterfeit and/or fake flash memory sold on ebay for a long time. Selling counterfeit, fake and faulty items on the Internet is much easier than selling them on a market or in a shop. Buyers only have a picture and a description to go on.

We think this article on the CBC News website makes it fairly clear how widespread fraud on the internet is:

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/12/03/counterfeiting-online-selling.html

The fact is that when buying flash memory items the rule is TRUST NO-ONE! Even reputable high street stores, computer magazines and respected internet sellers have found themselves supplying customers with fake or faulty flash items.

Anyone who buys flash memory items (memory cards, MP players, USB flash drives etc) is advised to test with the free program h2testw.

SOSFakeFlash Releases Report On eBay For Fake Flash Memory Sold. The Different Price Lists From Wholesalers In The Orient For Flash Memory Products. Fakes verse Genuine.

eBay is not a good place to buy or even sell usb flash drives, memory cards or mp3 mp4 players. Sellers and resellers need to be aware there are usually two different price lists offered in the Orient for the same items. Choose the wrong list and you will regret it.

So You Want To Sell On eBay For USB Memory Flash Drive PenSticks – MP Players – Memory Cards? Can You Make An Honest Profit And Sell Cheap?

Do you want to make a lot of money on eBay fast, selling mp players, memory cards and usb flash drives? If you buy from wholesaler internet sites in China, beware! To many eBay sellers are quick to buy and begin counting the profits as soon as they list! Why? Frequently they buy as low as $5 for a 16GB usb flash drive and sell as high as $25! Sometimes much more. Sounds great doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, most sellers do not bother to do their homework and research the true costs of nand flash chip technology. If they did, they would probably decide to bake cookies to sell at a fund raiser then sell on eBay. The sad fact is, the profit margin is very small for selling true capacity items. Only if you can move in volume will you make a modest profit.

SOSFakeFlash has been forced to introduce a zero tolerance policy for false capacity and or counterfeit flash items sold on eBay because the situation is so bad. Just one investigation with evidence and you as an eBay seller could end up on their fake flash sellers list, even have an alert published on the internet! They have never retracted or removed an alert yet from the internet and they are unlikely to. A seller is required to submit proof that he has refunded every single buyer in full (postage and handling charges too) along with an apology to every buyer. If there is data loss as a result, also compensate the buyer for the loss equivalent to the importance of the data and it’s reconstruction (when possible) – pretty stiff terms don’t you think? No, crying “I am a victim too!” will not get you off the hook, unless you are prepared to do what is required.

Be safe. Be smart. Do your home. Research the items you wish to sell. Test them at random to make sure your supplier doesn’t send you a “mixed box” (true capacity with fake capacity mixed in). If you want to sell a brand name, don’t buy from an Oriental wholesaler site please, unless they are authorized by the brand name. You will only end up with counterfeits and fakes. If the seller says they are authorized, contact the brand name to make sure. It is worth the wait and a few emails. Better than getting into the cross hairs of the battle raging on eBay and losing your seller reputation for ever.

Recently FakeFlashNews published an article we think you should read. It is being published here. You can learn a lot from it. Also see a sample of what SOSFakeFlash will do to an eBay seller caught selling false capacity items. Read on the grading system for nand flash chips and also the current prices in 2009.

Published at FakeFlash News:

Ebay offers very low bid and buy prices for memory cards, mp players and usb flash drives. It gets members excited. Often in a very short period of time, they will buy many items in a period of only one to two weeks. So cheap, so affordable!

Only when the items begin to arrive and the consumer starts having problems with mp players that refuse to load songs after a certain point, or memory cards will not transfer pictures to a PC or error messages begin to appear when attempting to access a file on a usb flash drives do they suspect something is wrong!

Of course there is something wrong! The devices have a low grade memory storage flash nand chip. It is not the size advertised. It can’t be. The price paid was too low for the true costs of the advertised size for the storage chip!

Fake flash sellers sell digitally altered items, reprogrammed to “appear” an advertised size. When victims test or take the items apart, they are able to prove they received an undersized flash nand storage chip from the eBay seller!

One of the best and most recent example is a devious fake flash seller, ebidetrade001 on eBay. FakeFlashNews is republishing an article from SOSFakeFlash. It sums up the experience and conclusions of eBay members who have been frauded for over five years.

From SOSFakeFlash:

ebidetrade001 is an eBay seller of Counterfeit (Fake) Flash USB drives. Registered in Hong Kong, ebidetrade001 is using private auctions to hide his fake flash sellers and using multiple auction listings. More than 500+ items have been sold.

Report in to SOSFakeFlash if your testing confirms you have a false capacity device.

Don’t forget to leave the calling card of “SOSFakeFlash” and “H2testw” in your feedback to help others. Do not change your feedback to get a refund – you will only create more victims. With Private Auctions the only way to defeat the fraudster is make your negative feedback count!

A Victim observes:

I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt because i thought it might have been his supplier who chipped the drive.
However all of his answers to communications through eBay and PayPal dispute show the classic signs of a scammer, as described on your site.

He has now hidden his auctions of this type of item, but all of his other items (e.g. 0.05 cent styluses, etc.) remain in clear view.

After buying this drive I now find him reported as suspect. Pity I didn’t find this site before I bought the item.

Using chipgenius and iflash, I have successfully reflashed this drive to it’s correct 3.6GB capacity and I guess 3.6GB for $14.00 is still cheaper than I can get one here in Australia, but it still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

This is the first bad experience that I have has on eBay after more than 200 transactions. I won’t be buying any flash memeory product on eBay ever again.

This is not an unusual reaction to a fake flash experience on eBay, it is the standard reaction. The victim, learned a lesson we all learned the hard way. In taking up the challenge to repair the usb flash drive and succeeding, it is not unusual to end up with a only 3.6 GB instead of 3.9 GB for a 4GB flash chip. It means that the nand storage chip was a reject. Read Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used In USB Flash Drives – Grades A B C D

In paying $14 AU our victim paid a premium of about 33% for the privilege of acquiring a fake usb flash drive according to the costs in: What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009 for this usb flash drive:

If only there would be a way to post the information on the cost of nand flash chips on eBay! Just how quickly would the buying and biding stop for most of what is offered in usb flash drives, MP Players and memory cards! eBay would lose one of the most important sources of revenue, eBay members would finally be spared from nightmares resulting from fake flash acquistion. Fraudsters in the Orient and elsewhere would be out of business soon. No demand, no supply.

not yet investigated:

ebidetrade001 addresses:

LAW KWOK CHUNG

ROOM 501, TIN LONG HSE.
TING PING EST.SHEUNG SHUI
N.T.
HONGKONG

zhang yuan lin

12A, Lijingge, Yunjing Haoyuan, Chunfeng Road,
Luohu District
Shenzhen
Guangdong Province
518000
China

To understand about Fake Flash Sellers Read:

• fengfeng_joy2008 Fraud – Conversations between THH And Fake Flash Seller On Fake 32GB Memory Cards. Tale of Denial, Bribery And Violation Of eBay’s Feedback Policies
• FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – The Truth About the Scam Exposed

Important Reading:

• PayPal Refunds Victim Of Fake – False Capacity USB Flash Drives Purchased On Ebay. 8 Month Battle Leads To Success.
• Escalation In False Capacity USB Fake Memory eBay! SOSFakeFlash News July 3rd, 2009
• eBay Victims do not leave positive Feedback or change FB to positive to get refunds!
• eBay – What To Do When Sellers Demands You Change Your Negative Feedback To Positive For A Refund Or Demands Positive As A Condition Of Refund – A Guide
• USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB
• Why Leave Immediate Negative Feedback For an eBay Fake Flash Seller?
• MP Players On Ebay – Current Prices For Cheap Fake 2GB 4GB 8GB 16GB 32 GB SOSFakeFlash’s Report
• SOSFakeFlash Consumer Education Week 20090605 – 20090612. The Problem of Counterfeit and Fake Memory Sold On Ebay

Report in to SOSFakeFlash if your testing confirms you have a false capacity device.

FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – A Guide On The Truth

Why are fake usb pen sticks, MP players and memory cards sold on eBay? The false capacity ranging from 2GB 4GB 8GB 16GB 32GB 60GB 64GB 120GB 240GB 260GB 360GB to 500GB sizes.

One size is advertised but the true size is much smaller! You buy a 16GB MP player but only get 2GB or 4GB of storage. You buy a 16GB usb flash drive and get 1GB or 2GB of storage, maybe 4GB if you are lucky. You buy a 16GB memory card and only get 2GB or 4GB. When it comes to usb flash drives and memory cards, the digital alteration of the controller flash chip is deadly – you lose your data! Do the ebay sellers know what they are doing? Is there a reason?

Recently SOSFakeFlash asked for stories, experiences. We received one, an explicit conversation between a fake flash seller and a buyer victim. It dates to the summer of 2008 and nothing since has changed. It is published exactly as received. It might be long but if you want answers start reading!

Sony MicroVault Genuine USB Flash Drives – Archive Of Retired Models To Avoid Fakes And Counterfeits

The Sony Microvault brand name is famous, trusted by consumers. Seized by fraudulent sellers,this brand name is used to lure unsuspecting buyers into buying counterfeits and fakes. The dark side of flash drive selling they scam and fraud – hurt both Sony and the general buying public. Advertising capacity as high as 64GB these fakes are as generally 512MB and lower in real size. Current at time of publishing the highest size produced by Sony for Micro Vault is 32GB. These imitations cause data loss. They ruin uninformed resellers on the internet who do not do their product research. eBay is the most popular site for distribution to unsuspecting buyers.

Extremely old models are not found at most Sony sites for inspection. To assist buyers and resellers the FrankenFlash Project has to put together a visual archive to assist in research and to preserve information. We have a list of models, their codes and photos. It will show you the true evolution of the Sony micro vault flash drive. How counterfeiters have used early packaging and attempted to make their imposters seem genuine. The earliest capacities are presented because they provide very important clues for the fakes that will be presented in a new series of articles to be published at FlashDriveFacts.

Covered are the following capacities: 16MB 32MB 64MB 128MB 256MB 512MB 1GB 2GB 4GB 8GB

USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB

Are you looking for a bargain price for a usb flash drive? To Buy or to sell? What is the real cost from a wholesaler in 2009? Want to be sure you aren’t paying too much? Or that you might be cheated or scammed?