Walmart has a 30TB SSD for $39 mdash don rsquo t fall for this scam Tom s Guide
Walmart has a 30TB SSD for $39 - don t fall for this scam Tom's Guide Skip to main content Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Walmart has a 30TB SSD for $39 - don t fall for this scam By Malcolm McMillan published 29 August 2022 Buyers of this SSD end up with a lot less than they bargained for (Image credit: XGeek via Walmart) Admittedly, you have to be pretty skeptical about a portable SSD going for about a dollar per terabyte. It probably would not make our list of best external hard drives. Still, that has not stopped major retailers from selling a fake portable SSD drive that is making waves for what it really is - a scam. First discovered by Twitter user Ray [REDACTED] (opens in new tab) and reported on by Ars Technica (opens in new tab), a 30TB SSD drive has appeared on AliExpress and Walmart for under $40. Unfortunately, those who purchased the drive don't get what they paid for. Instead, they get an SSD drive that doesn't work and is not even an SSD drive. Board says HUB-TF2 and has two glued down cards (trans flash? SD Cards?). pic.twitter.com/gKd84tXIXIAugust 25, 2022See more If you want to see the drive in question Walmart (opens in new tab) still has it up, though it is now listed as out of stock. This is good news since this SSD is basically a paperweight.   SSD scam How does it work   (Image credit: Ray [REDACTED]/Twitter) Admittedly, this fake SSD is fairly impressive, which is probably why it's making such an impression. It is designed to look like a Samsung SSD T5, a very popular external hard drive that is the predecessor to the Samsung SSD T7. And at first glance, it seems to be surprisingly well made. There are no screws holding the chassis together, or a pinhole that would allow for a SIM tool to pry the case open. Additionally, when you plug the SSD into your computer, two 15TB drives appear - this is a red flag we will cover later. When you try and copy over files it even shows the files writing onto the SSD as a normal drive would. Well, except that it's actually not copying your data over. It just writes new data on top of old data and when you open the drive in your computer, nothing is there. This is just one of several red flags. Remember how the drive shows as two separate 15TB drives? Those drives should actually be slightly less than 15TB due to a number of factors, including that storage sizes are typically marketed as round numbers (1TB = 1,000GB) but Windows does not view them that way (1TB = 1,024GB). Typically, 1TB drives have reported capacities of less than 1TB. Once you get the case open, it is pretty clear that the level of craftsmanship is subpar. The SSD that Ray [REDACTED] managed to open with a razor was made up of two flash storage cards, though other purchasers have reported USB thumb drives inside the enclosure. Additionally, the USB-C to USB-3.1 cable only works as USB 2.0, so in addition to getting a scammy hard drive, you get a scammy USB cable too. How to avoid these SSD scams  (Image credit: Tom's Guide) These scams, unfortunately, are all too common. Even the most popular retailers often use third-party sellers who are not strongly vetted. To avoid buying a faulty external SSD driv,e make sure to check out our external drive buying guide. No scams hiding there - promise. Today's best WD My Book USB 4TB dealsReduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$157.51 (opens in new tab)$116.21 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$139.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$146 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)Show More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Be In the Know Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Malcolm McMillanNews WriterMalcolm McMillan is a News Writer for Tom's Guide. Before writing for Tom's Guide, he worked many retail jobs and many Black Fridays, including a stint for Microsoft. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. In his spare time, Malcolm is a fantasy football analyst. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most. See all comments (0) No comments yet Comment from the forums MOST READMOST SHARED1Google Pixel Watch vs. Apple Watch Series 8: Which will be the better smartwatch?2iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Should you upgrade?3Today's Wordle answer and hints - solution #478, Monday, October 104Rick and Morty season 6 episode 6 release date and time - How to watch online right now, channel and more5House of the Dragon episode 8 release date and time - how to watch online right now1Google Pixel Watch vs. Apple Watch Series 8: Which will be the better smartwatch?2iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Should you upgrade?3Today's Wordle answer and hints - solution #478, Monday, October 104Rick and Morty season 6 episode 6 release date and time - How to watch online right now, channel and more5House of the Dragon episode 8 release date and time - how to watch online right now