64GB usb key scam

ttm

Perhpas old news but just a quick note to say make sure you know exactly what you are buying and that exactly the same item can be found on the manufactures web site before you bid on any 64 GB usb keys on eBay. There's been a couple recently I think are a scam and if I'm allowed I'll post the links?

I've reported the items to eBay with supporting evidence but while they did something about simlar items a month ago they have done nothing about these recent ones so perhaps I'm wrong , hope so as the last 64GB usb key that I think was a fake sold for 64euro:eek:

Current one I thnk is fake is for a 64GB DataTraveler - compare the specs and picture with kingstons site, another one that crops up and is very easy to spot is a 64GB Sony Viao usb key - Sony don't make any usb keys under the Viao brand name.

li@mo

Post a link. Should be ok with mods i'd imagine

ttm

li@mo wrote: »

Post a link. Should be ok with mods i'd imagine

On your head be it

http://cgi.ebay.ie/64GB-Hi-Speed-2-0-USB-Flash-Drive-Memory_W0QQitemZ320343241004

and this one went for 64euro as you can see

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320341486271

li@mo

I've had a look and the listing looks fine.

The feedback is good for the seller.

However, the Kingston site shows their only Data Traveller 64GB to be a different type to that shown:

http://www.kingston.com/flash/DataTravelers_consumer.asp

So Im unsure

ttm

OK so try this.....

No mention of kingston?
No kingston logo on item?
Specs are all wrong at least check transfer speed?
Where's the picture come from? Easy to use kingstons own pics if you can't take your own?
Why have a picture of the wrong item a second time?
No model number specified.

But I'd be more than happy for it not to be a scam at least for the guy that bought the last one!

jhegarty

Looks to me like he is selling a generic usb drive.

ttm

So why quote the specs that are the same as the Kingston DTI/xxx range and use a picture of an item that has a Kingston brand name on it?

I'm begining to regret posting the links, if everyone else thinks the item is OK, intersting to see I'm in a minority here.

jor el

There does seem to be something not quite right about it. A 56G flash drive, even a generic no brand one, should not be that cheap. It could well be a similar scam hacked memory card ones, where a card is made to appear bigger. This could well be a 16G or 32G card, that has been hacked.

I'd wait until after there is some feedback on the cards he has already sold, if you're considering buying one.

byte

Seller sells fake Oakley glasses too, judging by recent neg feedback, so wouldn't be beyond him to sell fake pendrives.

rubadub

jor el wrote: »

where a card is made to appear bigger. This could well be a 16G or 32G card, that has been hacked.

I'd wait until after there is some feedback on the cards he has already sold, if you're considering buying one.

Yes, hacking is very common. And like you say, there is no feedback on these keys yet, he could be unaware himself that they are fakes.

I got a 2GB mp3 player which was only 1GB, I was actually 99% certain it would be fake, yet it was still cheaper than real 1GBs at the time so I got it. Works fine (as a 1GB!). Many used to blatantly say there were fake and would appear as 2GB. Once reformatted correctly it only shows as 1GB. The real danger is people using them as the higher capacity and it corrupting after going over the limit. Then it can be reformatted but you risk losing valuable data.

If the offer seems to good to be true, then 99.9% of the time its a scam....

ttm

As far as the seller not knowing its a fake I'd be very supprised and I'd give him the benefit of the doubt but there are a couple of things I didn't mention that might be relevant.

A month or so back I spotted a similar lisiting (different seller?) for a very similar item, specs were the same (fromat and layout) picture was different (still the DTI/xxx range and not the genuine DT150/64GB) but that time Kingston was mentioned in the description. I reported the item and it disapeared off eBay the following day.

Then this current item appeared and the aution format was identical to the previous one including the picture gallery for Circle Seller showing the same clothing items for sale. So similar was the format I at first assumed it was the same seller.

So my guess is its the same guy who has now learnt that its a bad move to be too specific and mention Kingston in the description. Leaving out a brand name leaves it open for people to think its a genric clone.

Then there is the classic eBay feedback problem that people leave feedback as soon as the item arrives and looks OK. The fakes I've seen are just soooo good that you won't know about it untill you go over the actual size of the drive and even then non techies don't smell a rat they just think that the drive has died.

ttm

Just an update as I've been watching this and some other 64GB usb keys for what seems likes weeks to see if there is any feedback and today there is some.

Doh! So perhaps I'm wrong, positive feedback left for http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250372553494 , now I thought this was strange and when I checked the buyer's history I see he has recently bought 32GB usb keys on two seperate occasions and again left positive feedback even though eBay has withdrawn the listings? By withdrawn I mean they have that note from eBay that says "If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it cancelled" and the sellers are no longer registered on eBay. Well seems very strange, I've asked the guy if he can let me know if 64 GB item was OK but don't think I'll hear back from him so I'll just keep watching and see what happens as the orignal seller has sold a couple now and still has some listed.

Amalgam

There are a lot of dodgy Data Traveller USB keys floating about, green loop plastic and green label on side, white casing.

I didn't want to ruffle feathers but I was convinced one or two members were trying to hawk them on Adverts recently.

Unless it is a reliable retail store and priced reasonably, stay clear. The bottom line is you will not get a 64GB pen drive for the price of a 4GB one.

jor el

ttm wrote: »

Just an update as I've been watching this and some other 64GB usb keys for what seems likes weeks to see if there is any feedback and today there is some.

That could just mean the buyer hasn't realised it's fake yet. You won't see a problem with these until you put too much information on it, and then try to read it off and you get read errors. Often, it's too late to do anything about it when this happens.

ttm

jor el wrote: »

That could just mean the buyer hasn't realised it's fake yet. You won't see a problem with these until you put too much information on it, and then try to read it off and you get read errors. Often, it's too late to do anything about it when this happens.

That is the biggest problem with eBays feedback system and why I only need to see a couple of negatives for a prticular type of activity like slow delivery, poor packing, non delivery or selling fakes to think that is probably the norm for that seller.

ttm

Negative feedback posted by the buyer of one the "64GB" usb keys

Warning! (FAKE) This Usb Stick is not 64GB . He does not want to refund

http://feedback.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=dudez_wear&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true

jor el

No surprises there.

Seller is no longer registered too.

Eireann

Wonder how long til they open up a new selling account?!

ttm

Eireann wrote: »

Wonder how long til they open up a new selling account?!

They already have at least one. Check out the clothes range that this seller was selling and you'll see another seller using exactly the same format and pictures. Looks like the account here might have been kept for selling the dodgy stuff. Sellers often take a chance when they buy stock and sometimes get ripped off so what better way to sell the stock that is fake than have more than one account so any adverse feedback doesn't kill your main selling account. its just tooo easy to keep a few accounts going and build up enought feedback to look 100% genuine then use the account to sell fake stuff. Which is more useful 10,000 sales with positive feedback in one acount or 10 accounts each with 1,000 feedback. Only thing you need is 10 different credit cards but that is not as difficult as it sounds one guy I know is banned from eBay and he uses family members accounts and credit card names to sell stuff.

Eireann

Surely theres a way of tracking these kinda people... IP addresses etc?!

ttm

IP addresses? ROTFL I've been shouting that sort of thing at eBay for years! They don't answer me anymore but I did have one or two long conversations with some guys at eBay and it seems they couldn't check if potential shill bidding came from the same IP address. I did read they'd added some way of checking IP address useage to try to stop account Hijacking but haven't seen evidence of it working yet. Normal eBay policy is to cover up any scam they find. People are very unimaginative and as a result you could often spot shill bidding as the bidders names had some vague connection to the seller (one I remember used the names of other businesses that he ran and another had shill bids from users that all left the same feedback with the same spelling mistakes) but now you can't spot that as eBay has covered it up, neither can you warn buyers to double check that they aren't being conned.

Only tracking I know of and thats from the guy I know who has been banned is via PayPal. If you get banned you can't use the same PayPal account details or credit card for PayPal, but who said its difficult to sign up for more than one credit card.

Eireann

Thanks for that, I had no idea

ttm

Possible new USB scam http://cgi.ebay.ie/memory-stick_W0QQitemZ280326085247 new seller

Reason: "photoshoped" picture

Haven't checked if Kingston make a 16Gig in that range yet, but off out now so will check it fully later.

Edit> Checked and Kingston do make a similar item but the packaging seems wrong afaik the packaging colour on the right should be white not red also wrong font 16GB

jor el

That's not even a good price for a 16GB Kingston, 23 euro delivered from a reputable source.

ttm

When will sellers learn? Spotted this and couldn't find anything really wrong with it, OK usual signs, seller had never sold before then has a stack of high vaue USB keys to sell, not just one but 10 or more but the item is made by kingston and the price was not too far wrong. So then took a look at what else the seller has to sell. ROTFL Why spoil a good scam by going completely OTT, 64GB drive possible but 128GB drive not made by Kingston (yet)!


Pic of first item I saw and had second thoughts about.....


Then the Pic of the one that told me the whole thing was a scam....



Now thats supposed to be a Kingston 128GB DT150, doh its a DTV and the largest one of those in production is currently 32GB.

Great page for comparing Kingston USB flash memory keys with whats for sale on eBay http://www.kingston.com/flash/dt_chart.asp

ttm

What do they say "God loves a trier"?

Compare http://cgi.ebay.ie/Kingston-DataTraveler-150-128GB-USB-Flash-Drive_W0QQitemZ320356048370 and http://www.kingston.com/flash/dt150.asp

140euro? OWWWWWWCH! But your fake key will get posted out for free:p

btw same guy as post above