Samsung 990 Pro fake SSDs spotted in Europe

As we recently reported, some counterfeit SSDs were identified in Japan that were marketed as Samsung 990 Pro ($319 for 1 TB on Amazon). Now ComputerBase reports a similar incident in Germany. While the incident in Japan involved cheaper SSDs with new packaging being sold at the higher price of the Samsung 990 Pro, the counterfeit from Germany is apparently an even more brazen fake, as the SSD in question is not functional.

According to information provided by a long-standing member of the ComputerBase community, two Samsung 990 Pro were ordered from an Austrian online store at the beginning of April. At first glance, the packaging of the delivered SSDs looks deceptively genuine, but a direct comparison with the original shows that the print quality is poorer and some symbols such as the CE marking on the back are placed differently. After unpacking, it quickly becomes clear that this is a fake - the sticker has been copied from the original, but the SSD uses a blue board instead of the usual black board of a Samsung 990 Pro.

If the SSD is connected to a computer via an M.2 slot or external SSD enclosure, it is recognized by software such as CrystalDiskInfo, but neither the designated memory nor the firmware ID match a genuine Samsung 990 Pro. The free app Samsung Magician identifies the SSD directly as "non-Samsung". Anyone who has recently purchased a Samsung SSD 990 Pro should definitely use Samsung Magician to check whether it is a counterfeit, because as the incident in Japan has shown, some counterfeits are functional SSDs. The Austrian retailer wants to check the wholesaler from whom the SSD was purchased. It is not yet clear how this counterfeit was able to make it onto the market unnoticed.