Fake MP Players – Steps In Checking Flash Memory Size

H2testw is the software tool most used by eBay victims of fake mp players to test and find the true capacity of MP Players that are fake. Finding the right software to repair an MP Player can be challenging. Some times it helps to have a look inside to see what the flash drive storage chip is and what the controller chip is. This is the first article to help you learn more about fake MP Players and what they look like inside.

This article is reprinted from SOSFakeFlash and uses a documented fake MP Player as an example.

SOSFakeFlash publishs a lot of consumer alerts on fake flash sellers prowling ebay for buyer victims. Evidence is collected and stored in a database. eBayer id’s, eBay item numbers, the model sold by the seller along with other important information.

It leads to alerts being issued on the internet and sellers being added to the famous eBay Fake Flash Sellers List. As time goes by the counts against sellers increase. Some times a victim will report in months after the fact, long after the ebay listings have disappeared. The project works hard to preserve information. Alerts are issued after the information has been collected, not before! Necessary given eBay’s recent behavior of shutting fake flash sellers down quickly to be able to remove all traces of lising information.

SOSFakeFlash, in this article will take you inside of a fake MP Player purchased on eBay and show you how it is possible to prove it is a false capacity, confirming what the program H2testw 1.4 reports in capacity testing.

Paypal likes to demand that victims return fake flash usb drives or mp players or memory cards to get a refund. “Return the crime to the criminal!” they order. On other occasions they will dismiss the test results of H2testw 1.4 and demand you find somebody at Southby’s to certify that you received a counterfeit.

The FrankenFlash Project has been in operation for over 14 months, they know something about fake mp players, usb flash drives and memory cards. The simple fact is, when the devices are taken apart – the truth is revealed. It only confirms what the program H2testw 1.4 reports. The secret? It lies in the actual flash drive nand memory chips in the device!

For most victims, taking apart a fake MP Player is not a task they feel up to. The latest contributor, Niko is up to the task and is presenting his findings for everyone to see! He has two fake MP Players to reveal to you, this is the first one sold by hitech2day. You will quickly see there is nothing “defective” here! It is clear deception on the part of fake flash sellers.

To PayPal and eBay, do pay attention! To fake flash sellers, watch out! We do our homework “dears “.

Listed on eBay hitech2day offered this model. Is it 16GB?

When Niko opened the drive this is what he saw:

So what did the flash drive chip for storage show?

It was a samsung 904 k9lbgo8uom pcbo CAK468P2

If you visit InspectorTech’s site you will see the following post: Samsung Nand Flash – How To Decode Flash Storage Chips To Find True Capacity

and if you scroll down you can visit the samsung link. Give this a try. http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/partnumberDecoder.do

now enter the information characters for:

k9lbgo8uom

This is good practise for anyone with a samsung nand flash drive chip to try out!

There is no “m” available for the last character.

So click on search.

So here we see the real chip size. It is 32G bit. 8 bits is a byte so we need to divide by 8. That makes 32Gb /8 = 4GB.

So eBay seller hitech2day has lied about the true capacity! hitech2day was not selling a 16GB MP Player but a 4GB MP Player. eBay, PayPal are you still with us? Can you do the math and follow the evidence? Do you really think ebay buyers are complaining without cause? If ebay members can do their homework, why can’t you? It’s not rocket science, you know.

Now the controller chip for the MP Player difficult to read in the photo:

It is:

AK2025
8L014BA 1LP

We can’t tell you much about it at the moment.

eBay members are not imagining things about the fake mp players being sold on eBay.

The problem is very real! Both eBay and PayPal are very much aware of it. Only they prefer to show a blind eye. After all, the money is good! The FrankenFlash project has observed that eBay and PayPal do not intend to put a stop to the traffic in fake mp players being sold.

You don’t believe us? Please have a look at this:

Stop this Multi-Million Dollar Fraud on eBay

Just how far back in time does it go? If you are a victim of a fake flash MP Player, make sure that you register there. You can also register for other fake flash items too! Let it grow! And grow! The FrankenFlash Project collects information too, so do not forget SOSFakeFlash or to report in! Every item matters and counts.

SOSFakeFlash issue’s alerts on the internet to warn and assist victims. They can not and will not issue an alert without evidence. It is very powerful! It is a record and it stays forever. They also will NOT remove an alert! If a seller on eBay is caught, the alert stays!

Niko is currently searching for a solution to repair this fake MP Player. If one is found he will present it to everyone.

Keep an eye out for Niko’s other fake flash MP seller and his repair solution coming soon.

SOSFakeFlash published an alert on seller hitech2day, please read: hitech2day Ebay Fake Flash Seller Alert – China Fake MP Players

MP Players eBay Stop Buying 8GB 16GB MP3 MP4 At Cut Rate Bargain Prices SOSFakeFlash Advises

MP Players are hot on eBay! Beware. 8GB and 16GB Players with MP3 or MP4 are likely to be fakes or counterfeits if you bought at low prices. If you are lucky your MP player will be 2GB or 4GB – not more.

Fake MP Players on eBay are an old story and it’s been around for several years. Every day there is a new crop of victims. Why? Bargain hunting! SOSFakeFlash has no choice but to issue this warning. Do not buy any MP Players on eBay advertised as 8GB or 16GB. Period! Stop looking for bargains! You are not going to get a real 8GB or 16GB at $25 to $50.

We know that economic conditions are hard, but you need to be realistic about paying fair prices. If you want to pay less and get more – welcome to fake flash hell!

You might find SOSFakeFlash’s words harsh. They are. Too many people are being frauded and few get their money back. Many eBayers are conned into believing their MP Player is “defective”. There is nothing defective in reprogramming a flash drive chip to lie about it’s size!

Make sure to look at the reference reading presented below for additional information and advice. Also see the list of eBay Sellers caught selling fake MP Players as of April 4th, 2009 at the end of this article

Most of the Fake MP Players are coming from sellers in Hong Kong and China. There appear to be two distinct rings operating under many id’s. It is a fake flash collective. Beware that due to SOSFakeFlash’s internet presence eBay sellers are now listing advertising local countries. You will only realize the truth when your MP Player arrives.

The profits from selling fake MP Players is mind numbing! Current estimates are 1 in a 250 sold leads to a PayPal dispute, that is 249 ahead. Both eBay and fake flash seller are dancing with fake flash profit joy – at your expense!

Avoid the misery of filing disputes. The pain grows when eBay quickly suspends the seller, whoops all listings gone, all evidence gone. You will have to crawl under the hood of your Paypal account and do a lot of extra digging to file a dispute when a seller is deregistered.

eBay and PayPal are not not going to make it easy for you. The harder the better. After all they don’t want to refund you. eBay has never warned members who bought from a fake flash seller and they never will. Why? It means admitting to the fact they have a problem.

Never pay for an MP Player using your bank account, use your credit card with PayPal. It gives you a better chance of recovering your money. PayPal hates it. Fake flash sellers will hate it more! PayPal may say they can’t refund you because they need to get to the fake flash sellers funds. Funny how quickly they will claw back the money from the fraudster when the credit card company does a reversal!

For now, do not buy MP Players at 8GB 16GB with MP3 MP4 on eBay. Save up until you have enough to buy a real one locally. There are just too many fakes. eBay is not cleaning things up, instead they registering sellers so they can remove listings and all traces of what these scammers sold! The fraud is astonishing.

If you bought an MP Player on eBay, tested it and found out you have a fake, make sure you leave a negative immediately! File a dispute afterwards. Never withdraw your negative in exchange for a refund. Never return a fake with the hope or promise of your refund. Also be a good citizen and do your part – contact other buyers who left positive feedback and get them to test! If you left positive feedback – do follow up feedback indicating that you really bought a fake! Add in your feedback the web address sosfakeflash.wordpress.com – our calling card and message to fake flash sellers and to assist other eBayers trying to find the truth and get help!

• Fake MP Players On Ebay – 8GB 16GB Tidal Wave Of False Capacity – What Can You Do?
• eBay Fake Flash Sellers Of MP Players – USB Flash Drives – Memory Cards – About Their IDs
• Buying On eBay – MP Players – Memory Cards – USB Flash drives – Why You should Use A Credit Card To Pay And Not Your Bank Account
• Why eBayers Don’t Get Refunds When They Return Fake Flash
• PayPal How Long Do You Have To Claim For A Refund In Disputes? A Guide About PayPal From eBayer’s Experiences.

Also visit the new site http://flashdrivefacts.wordpress.com/ and read:

• USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB
• Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used – Grades A B C D

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

Now, have a look at the sellers caught by SOSFakeFlash so far.

Repairing Counterfeit Fake MP Players

SOSFakeFlash has been asked by victims of fake and counterfeit MP Players purchases – how can I restore to the real capacity? MP-Archer has provided some very useful information to help you begin your journey to return your MP Player back to it’s orignal Capacity.