FakeFlashNews

SOSFakeFlash and victims have wondered for a long time, how do fake flash eBay sellers in the Orient just keep coming back? Why do some of them have such old start dates on eBay? The FrankenFlash Project finally has some very interesting information about that. Also on why eBay is losing sales.

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SOSFakeFlash Reports that Fake MP Players are the lastest plague to hit eBay. Harder for Buyers to spot before they leave postive feedback. Why? A 16GB false capacity MP player that turns out to be only 2GB can hold as many as 500 songs. It takes time to load. Most buyers of MP Players just use technology and are not techie. They fall for the “opphs a defective item” song sung by the fake flash seller. The lure of “free shipping” is one of the strongest pulls to end up in the fake flash pit. It appears that eBay fake flash sellers in Hong Kong and China know this so well – they have studied their buyer audience carefully. Here is advice – a Guide from SOSFakeFlash.

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The need to warn people about sellers on eBay who sell fake (false capacity) USB Flash drives, Memory Cards and MP Players continues. Fraudulent sellers are using a new tactic, massive listings in a short period of time, some times as many as 2000+ in as little as three weeks. There is an internet site devoted to early detection of such sellers:

fightflashfraud.wordpress.com

SOSFakeFlash recommends that people visit this site, especially if there is no information at SOSFakeFlash yet!

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SOSFakeFlash asks what is so special about 935 Choi Ping House at Choi Yuen Estate in Sheung Shui, N.T., Hong Kong? It is the place many fake usb flash drives and MP Players are mailed from to unsuspecting eBay members. The FrankenFlash Project has been monitoring for a long time. Three ebay seller id’s all have something in common, a person by the name of Yu zhikang. The common eBay seller id’s are: fox.town, chaiching28, davidtam000,  i.t.smart_electronic.  There could be more id’s involved. The articles published so far: Read the rest of this entry »

SOSFakeFlash is investigating a counterfeit Ring Operating in Hong Kong. To make connections between eBay seller id’s it is critical the fake flash victims on eBay send in the addresses of the sellers. Keep those envelopes! If you have been asked by a seller to return a fake flash item, send the address provided to SOSFakeFlashDrive@gmail.com.

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To help people struggling with PayPal claims and disputes SOSFakeFlash has just released a guide based on 10 months of study. While it is designed to assist victims of fake mp players, usb flash drives and memory cards purchased on eBay it is useful to anyone struggling with a claim.

To read the article: PayPal How Long Do You Have To Claim For A Refund In Disputes? A Guide About PayPal From eBayer’s Experiences.

SOSFakeFlash at the request of victims who bought False Capacity MP Players, Memory Cards and USB Flash Drives has just released a list of Safe Sellers on eBay. Sellers who sell true capacity items and stand behind their products!

See Safe Ebay Sellers For USB Flash Drives – MP Players – Memory Cards – Genuine Capacity/

This is a new program lauched by the FrankenFlash Project. eBay members may nomiate sellers. eBay sellers may apply. The list is dynamic and will be updated. A similar program will be launched for internet sites soon.

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If you bought a 16GB USB Flash Drive from eBay seller guruelectronics you are advised to test it immediately to find out if you received the advertised capacity of 16GB. Please see H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives for information on testing and to download the software. It appears that the suspect model is actually a 2GB drive and not 16GB. To use it is to risk data loss.

SOSFakeFlash informed TechReporters guruelectronics sent a threatening email of protest on February 12th, 2009 stating he has not sold any false capacity usb flash drives. SOSFakeFlash never releases an alert without supporting data. The FrankenFlash Project was informed immediately. SOSFakeFlash is expected to release more details soon. SOSFakeFlash resists publishing the output from H2testw in their alerts to ensure buyers provide independent results.

Update: February 15th, 2009 – Originally released:

For a seller protesting innocence, SOSFakeFlash said guruelectronics did something extremely odd. Access to the suspect listing:

New 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Memory Stick Pen Drive 16 GB G (#180311915778)

is no longer available. Any eBayer who wishes to review the listing on their won list or in feedback will suddenly find it gone. All other items sold, are available for inspection. You the reader, may draw your own conclusions.

SOSFakeFlash has informed Techreporters that it was eBay who removed access to this listing.  It was not removed by the ebay seller operating under the id of guruelectronics. As the investigation continues, SOSFakeFlash received evidence to support this.  It appears that a victim of this seller asked eBay why the listing no longer appeared.  See: Investigation On Seller Using eBay Id guruelectronics Continues At SOSFakeFlash

As the listings can no longer be inspected or the images for the drives viewed, on behalf of SOSFakeFlash we are presenting them here:

These drives have been tested by eBay members. It appears they are 2GB drives, not 16GB! They have been digitally altered to appear 16GB to the operating system. This is not a defective drive. It is not “broken”. Should your testing indicate you have a 2GB drive and not the advertised 16GB:

1. Do not use this drive to store data – it is not safe. It will only hold about 1.9GB of information and you will lose any information beyond 1.9GB.
2. File a dispute immediately against the seller with Paypal.
3. Modify your feedback to indicate you purchased a fake (false capacity). If you are unable to do this because the seller pulled the listing, write to ebay and let them know how you feel about what this seller has done. Feel free to leave a comment at SOSFakeFlash or here.
4. Report your fake to add into evidence against this seller at Report A Fake

Refunding a buyer does not absolve a seller from having sold such dangerous items to a users data. An honest seller tests his merchandise and if he discovers he has offered a false capacity usb drive, he removes listings immediately, contacts all buyers for the item, explains what happened, apologizes and refunds every single buyer, in full. Do eBay sellers do this? According to SOSFakeFlash, the honest ones do, no matter how difficult or what the cost is to them. And SOSFakeFlash says, you will never see an alert having been issued against such sellers. There is no need.

The FrankenFlash Project has a remarkable reputation for being fair. The groups do, however, exercise zero tolerance for sellers of false capacity items on eBay – unless they can demonstrate seller victim status. SOSFakeFlash intends to reveal why this seller could never claim such a status. The recent action of guruelectronics removing access to listings for this model only increases the evidence against him.

The problem of fake flash usb pendrives on eBay is an epidemic – often referred to as a plague. It kills data. Sold by unscrupulous ebay sellers these false capacity drives have caused so much harm to eBay members. It’s not just about money. It is the files – gone forever!

Not all sellers are dishonest on eBay! One of the goals of the FrankenFlash project is to find genuine sellers at reasonable prices. A challenge! Very soon SOSFakeFlash and the FrankenFlash Project will start the program of listing safe sellers on the internet and eBay. As we expose seller who have been caught with fakes (even if just one!), we will shine the spotlight on good sellers! The honest sellers deserve recognition!

We have two interesting YouTube video’s we invite you to watch!

One is an eBay buyer, Bernie1927 who describes his fake flash buying experience on eBay. His story is the story of so many victims – we the victims of fake flash, find it echos our sad education. The other is an honest eBay Platinum seller – Flashymemory, of usb flash drives who has a message you need to hear. Like many honest eBay sellers (and not only those who sell flash drives) he is extremely unhappy about fake flash sellers on eBay. We hope you will find these stories interesting and informative.

Ever tried to buy a flash drive on ebay?

Exposing Fake Flash Memory on eBay

Please feel free to share your comments – we are interested in your opinions!

It is no secret that eBay prefers to shelter sellers of false capacity flash devices such as MP Players, Memory cards and usb flash drives. After all these sellers generate a lot of revenue for eBay. Imagine just how much money they have made since the problem began back in 2003. Until recently, both seller and eBay lived in fake flash profit paradise. eBay members are fed up and began to take action starting in the spring of 2008. Did eBay address the problem? Not really. If a seller was caught and negatives poured in in feedback, eBay forced a temporary suspension as a deregister, to allow the sellers score to cool off. A perfect example of this? Fake Flash seller, calltimtim.

calltimtim investigated by SOSFakeFlash, sold fake (false capacity) 32GB usb flash pendrives on eBay. An alert was issued on the internet on October 30th, 2008. See Alert – calltimtim – Ebay Fake Flash Seller

Like most sellers of these dangerous flash drives (data loss once you exceed the real capacity) this seller was forced into deregistering for a short period of time. eBayers discovered the awful truth and began pounding on doors of eBay and Paypal. After a little insincere spanking from eBay, two months later at the end of December 2008 calltimtim tip toed back.

On February 6th, 2009 calltimtim began to list 16GB usb flash drives. This time with a little twist, stating there are

Capacity : 16GB (Made out of 2 x 8GB Nand Flash enables users to store more than ever)

The FrankenFlash Project is not inclined to believe calltimtim. Why?

The auction for one drive is listed as:

and if you scroll down the listing you will see the drive in more detail.

It would appear that in calltimtim’s rush to feed his fake flash profit addition he is slipping. This drive does not have the typical “sticker” but is stamped clearly 8GB. We doubt there is a photo mix up here. It is more likely this seller will sing the “opphsy a defective one” if caught by an eBay buyer. Or try techno babble on a buyer who is not super tech savvy.

Have a look at the other two models offered – note that one of them is them is the twin of the 32GB fakes he offered in the past. Also we have information on testing and reporting to us.

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The FlankenFlash Project issues a message to eBay and Paypal.

At our “report a fake” Tabs at many of our websites – we begin with a reminder to you both and to eBayers of recent lawsuits against you. It was a warning. It was also to educate people that you been brought to task before. We said:

Any company who had been involved directly or indirectly with a transaction involving fake flash – ie counterfeit goods is liable and responsible – if they chose not to respond to the situation or take the warnings issued by customers seriously. To ignore the issue is to condone it.

You both have had opportunity to address the situation. You chose not too. So we turned up the heat. Exactly what temperature do you need before you choose to address the situation and also to come clean before the public?

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eBay tries to evade taking responsibility for fake (false capacity) MP Players, Memory Cards and USB Flash drives sold  on eBay. The pressure from members fed up with the sale of these devices has escalated. Victims continue to report to SOSFakeFlash, they are also warning other buyers. Traffic to the websites under the FrankenFlash Project is growing. Referrals from forums is increasing daily, especially to  the main site: SOSFakeFlash.wordpress.com.

Quietly on tip toe, eBay is trying to shut down these fraudulent sellers. Little choice now. The sunny days of fake flash profits for eBay, Sellers and Paypal are gone. eBay members have gathered to wrap all three in dark and stormy clouds.

In early January 2009 an eight month catalogue was released for public review at SOSFakeFlash. Reports coming in indicate eBay is actually warning buyers not to complete transactions with identified sellers – but often far too late. Members who have complained or have been “preselected” for special handling in the UK have been given a special telephone number to call in the UK; eBay has extended their working hours in that region of the world.

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At last seller guruelectronics has been caught selling fake flash usb drives on eBay! While SOSFakeFlash has been aware until evidence came in little could be done about this seller in the United States.

Sold was one of the most famous in the fake flash usb line. This seller also offered lots as high as 100. Possibily to be resold on eBay by smaller sellers. The web of selling false capacity drives on eBay can be a cascading chain. guruelectronics also attempted to convince buyers about the size being genuine by presenting a screen capture of size reported by the operating system – not an unusal snare.

guruelectronics is estimated to have sold many, not just in single units, but in lots as high as one hundred. If you bought this drive:

Do not use it to store data without testing with H2testw 1.4 to ensure the advertised capacity matches actual capacity. This drive typically has a 2GB flash chip. Do not attempt to repair this drive by opening it to find the controller chip or flash drive serial. The circuit board is glued with epoxy to hold it to the bottom casing. If you seperate the bottom to see the flash chip, the drive will in future wiggle and slide in the casing.

Under no circumstances should you accept any excuses from guruelectronics about the drive being “defective“. A digitally altered flash drive is not defective, it has been reprogrammed to lie about it’s true size.

guruelectronics attempted convince customers usb flash drives being sold were of the correct size:

The only thing this picture shows is what the operating system “sees” or is led to believe the size is. The point of reprogramming is to trick the operating system into seeing a larger size than the drive actually is. H2testw 1.4 can detect this. When drives are opened and chips decoded, they only confirm what H2testw 1.4 already reported.

SOSFakeFlash advises that one should never accept a demonstration of what the operating system sees as “proof” for a usb flash drive’s capacity. Just too many people have fallen for this demonstration and have been conned into believing the drive was just a lemon – defective. This is precisely what a seller of fake flash usb drives wants you to believe. The last thing they want anyone to realize is that a digitally altered drive has been purchased. It would spoil their sales, profit and eventually get them shutdown on eBay.

More detailed information on guruelectronics is available at the SOSFakeFlash site.

FlashAtom a victim of fake usb pendrives sold on eBay has a message for eBay members.

So many people end up buying fake mp players, usb flash drives and memory cards on eBay. All learn hard lessons, they lose data and they also lose money. Many lose their data for good. Money is so hard to earn these days, that hurts too!

eBay members also learn the disturbing truth about “buyer experience improvements” on eBay. “Buyer Protection” offered by PayPal for many becomes exposed as an illussion. Many members quit eBay. A lot never see a refund. PayPal wears them down – with email ping pong, not the game people wanted to play. All the while time runs against those disputing and filing claims.

One ebay member, Flash Atom has something he would like to share with you. We are interested in your opinions.

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Selling counterfeit Sony Micro Vault usb flash drives on eBay is big business. The FrankenFlash Project has documented the subject Fake Sony 32GB 64GB 120GB 360GB 500GB Micro Vault USB Flash Drives Available on eBay! to educate buyers.

You will find these counterfeit drives being listed on eBay all the time. Generally for very short periods of time. They can be found on almost any eBay home site: United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Austrialia, Canada, even Thailand. Just about the only place they don’t seem to pop up on eBay for sale is in Hong Kong or China. Some times the packaging photographed for listing is shiny and fresh, some time shop worn and dog eared (no offence to our four footed friends).

What is clear is that these Sony counterfeits seem to be old, from the first generation of false capacity flash drives unleashed on the public. There also seems to be a very large inventory being moved slowly into many countries. Finally these counterfeit usb flash drives ooze their way into eBay and and cause much trauma for eBay buyers who wanted to buy a safe brand name.

ads0s0 is just another eBay seller of Counterfeit Flash drives a never ending parade(Fake) Flash USB drives using a Brand Name. Based in the United Kingdom ads0s0 sold counterfeit Sony 64GB flash drives. Sony does not make 64GB Micro Vault flash usb drives. ads0s0 used private auctions and while the usb flash drives sold at £35.99 to £39.99 they are NOT the price range for private auctions (see eBay Private Auction Listings – eBay Fake Flash Sellers Prefer – Victims Learn The Meaning The Hard Way – A Guide ).

ads0s0 earns the classification of devious on two counts, private auctions AND for stating the drive was not reprogrammed.

ads0s0 described the item as:

Superior Best Flash Memory.
Brand new retail blister packed drive.
Hi-Speed performance. Not lower spec Full-Speed.
Full size capacity (not a smaller drive re-programmed to look a bigger size).

3 colors for choise
red,blue and black

If you bought this drive you are at risk of data loss. You have purchased a counterfeit item.

Do you want to know what an eBay Member reveals on eBay’s actions to address the issue of false capacity usb flash drives, mp players and memory cards being sold on eBay?

If so, you might like to read: eBay Member Reveals Latest Information As eBay Struggles To Address Issue of Fake USB Flash Drives, MP Players and Memory Cards being sold just released by SOSFakeFlash.

leadingstore is an eBay seller of Counterfeit (Fake) Flash USB drives, Memory Cards and MP Players. Based in China leadingstore is skilled in fake flash selling. SOSFakeFlash Published an alert on this seller on October 30th, 2008 Alert – leadingstore – Ebay Fake Flash Seller

At that time this seller had only been investigated for fake usb flash drives. As with most powersellers who engage in selling fake flash devices, leadingstore took a holiday when things heated up and then just crawl back to sell more. The case of leadingstore is just one more example of how ineffective eBay is in challenging and removing such sellers – permanently.

Let’s face it, from our observations over the months there is only one conclusion – fake flash powersellers rule eBay, not the other way around.

Small wonder there have been so many victims over so many years. Most deeply buried in eBay’s databases and of course tracks wiped clean on the internet. Well, not quiet.

• Would you like to see the current collection of fakes sold by leadingstore?
• Do you know who the master is behind the leadingstore id on eBay?
• Do you want to understand the problem of fake flash on eBay and how the FrankenFlash Project and these websites came to be?

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