fake SSD.

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are the go-to storage device for the modern consumer. They are small, compact, fast, and less susceptible to physical damage due to the lack of moving parts inside. 

But as SSDs have become more widespread, fake SSDs are starting to appear more often.

Unfortunately, a number of fake SSDs are being sold at low prices online. Because they look so genuine, many people buy these products and put the data they store on them at risk.

Fake SSD users encounter two main problems:

- the actual drive's capacity is far different from the claimed one

- the drives use downscale chips that can't provide the appropriate level of data safety 

Fake data storage devices pose a threat to both corporate and individual computer owners as they may easily corrupt sensitive information, overwrite data, and cause permanent data loss. 

inside a fake SSD.

In our work, we’ve seen a few fake SSDs over the years.  

Usually, customers came to us after they started noticing that their data appeared to be going missing. 

That happened because inside a 2TB SSD, instead of an original circuit board with two terabyte memory chips, there was a smaller USB stick with multiple cheap USB flash drives glued together and an aluminum block for additional weight. 

In addition, the built-in USB stick was reprogrammed not only to display a capacity of 2 TB, which is much more space than its real capacity, but also to behave as if it actually had that capacity. 

The result is that every time the USB stick memory was exceeded, any new data added was replacing the old saved data, and any data that had been previously saved was overwritten.

how to spot and avoid a fake SSD.

- buy branded products.

When buying storage devices, you should buy branded products from a trustworthy seller online. 

Keep away from nameless data storage devices and little-known vendors. 

SSDs manufactured by renowned companies come with a warranty and proprietary solutions preventing user data from corruption and loss. 

- pay close attention to the labels and their shape.

Brand products usually come with lots of specific labels and stickers. Scammers know that. That is why fake data storage devices contain stickers that look familiar and as realistic as possible. 

Fortunately, there are a few things to look out at product labeling in order to recognize fakes. 

If the stamp is blurry, unclear and not neatly aligned, it could indicate a fake SSD. Fake SSDs usually have pale rectangle labels that have no glossy finish. 

Further on, fake data storage devices usually have no special prints with 3D effect on the back.

Also, a brand logo may look different. When in doubt, try to google for actual brand logos in order to see the difference. 

- check serial numbers.

Branded SSDs will have serial numbers that can be checked on the manufacturer’s website. If the serial number of the SSD is not recognized, the SSD is probably a fake.

- check the read/write speed and storage capacity

A fake SSD will probably have reduced read/write speeds, a smaller storage capacity, or more likely a combination of the two. However, even an SSD with a seemingly verified storage capacity may not actually be able to store that much data, since it is possible to reprogram the controller chip to display a higher capacity. You can use software such as Smartmontools  (S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring Tools - Disk Inspection and Monitoring) to display information relevant to the drive such as read/write speeds, storage capacity, and serial number to determine whether the SSD is fake.

- check the price range.
Additionally, you should check for an average price range of the product you are interested in to get an idea if the product is genuine or not. When you think that an offer or a price of an SSD is too good to be true, compared to others with similar specifications, the chances are that the product is most likely to be a fake. If you end up buying a cheaper than average storage device, there is a very high risk that you will lose the data you store on it with no chance of recovery.

- touch and feel an SSD.

You could check the feel of the SSD in your hands. A genuine SSD will feel sturdy and well-made. On the contrary, a fake SSD will feel flimsy.

To avoid an unpleasant experience and prevent critical data from corruption and loss, rely on your common sense and choose only proven data storage solutions. 

There is a very high risk that you will lose the data you store on a fake SSD. 

Nobody can guarantee a successful data recovery from fake data storage devices, especially if the data is overwritten.

However, if the data is critical, it is worth a try.

Kotar Data Recovery Lab is equipped with advanced tools, techniques and expertise to recover your critical data that has often been deemed unrecoverable by other data recovery companies.