A drawer full of Hitachi, Maxtor, and Seagate 3.5 inch hard drives.
In an earlier article, we discussed a novel scam utilizing Seagate hard drives: Sellers were marketing used Exos hard drives as brand-new units, in some cases modifying the S.M.A.R.T. parameters to display lower runtime hours.
The scam has spread, according to German publication Heise.de. Reporters received more than 200 complaints from users who purchased Samsung Ironwolf Pro drives that show the same symptoms as the fraudulent Exos drives:
- S.M.A.R.T. values showing runtimes have been erased.
- Manufacturing/production dates have been updated.
- In some cases, the drives have false serial numbers.
Those alterations prevent most consumers from learning the truth: The drives have been used for tens of thousands of hours. But Seagate drives have hidden parameters called F.A.R.M. (Field Accessible Reliability Metrics), which aren’t as easy to alter — and rising awareness of the scam has prompted many buyers to review F.A.R.M. data.
That’s possible thanks to the free HDD Farm Check Tool, created by Github user gamestailer94. The tool is specific to Seagate drives, and we cannot confirm at this point whether the scam has targeted other manufacturers.
Seagate says that they’re investigating the used drive scam.
“While we cannot share specific details of this ongoing investigation, we suspect these drives were new products that Seagate sold to customers who later sold them on the used market,” a spokesperson wrote to Forbes.
“In this instance, we believe that somewhere in the used market supply chain, the drives were remarketed and resold as new. We recommend that resellers purchase drives from Seagate authorized distribution partners, as purchasing from Seagate-authorized distributors is the best way [that] resellers, and consequently, their end customers can be sure of the authenticity of Seagate products.”
For Seagate, the targeting of the Ironwolf Pro series is undoubtedly frustrating. The company markets its own “refreshed’ hard drives, but those devices undergo reengineering before they’re sold to customers — and they’re clearly identified as “renewed.”
Consumers can avoid the used hard drive scam by evaluating purchases carefully.
At Datarecovery.com, we’ve investigated a number of online scams, including the “1TB” flash drive scams that have been rampant on sites like Amazon and eBay. As leaders in the data recovery space, we’re deeply concerned about sales tactics that mislead consumers — particularly when those tactics are likely to cause data loss.
To avoid getting scammed, we recommend taking the following actions when purchasing a hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD):
- Never buy used storage media. All storage devices eventually fail, but used drives present a more substantial risk — we would even advise that consumers avoid manufacturer-refurbished drives, unless those drives are intended for non-critical use cases.
- Purchase media in person wherever possible. Choose a reputable provider (your local computer shop is an excellent first choice). Prior to purchasing, inspect the packaging for signs that it was opened or altered.
- Buy direct. When purchasing online, buy directly from manufacturers wherever possible.
- Avoid sites that do not moderate resellers. That includes Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, all of which sold fake flash drives in our 2023 analysis.
- Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. We love a good deal — but if a hard drive or SSD is marketed for more than 20% under its list price, look for a reason for the discount before you purchase.
If you’ve lost data due to an SSD or hard drive failure, we’re here to help. Datarecovery.com provides free media evaluations, and thanks to our no data, no charge guarantee, you don’t pay if we’re unable to recover your data.
Call us at 1-800-237-4200 to connect with an expert or click here to submit a case online.
