PSA: I caught a $1,800 SSD return scam on Amazon. Getting a returnless refund saved me from being framed.
I recently ordered a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink directly from Amazon. Due to a separate issue with the order, I ended up in a lengthy dispute with customer service. After escalating the ticket, Amazon issued a CA$1,750 returnless refund. I kept the money and the drive.
When I finally inspected the SSD closely, I noticed a few physical anomalies:
Warped Heatsink: There was a small gap near the connector pins where the metal casing appeared to have been forcefully pried apart.
Tampered Sticker: The "WARRANTY VOID IF REMOVED" seal had a hairline tear along the casing seam, exposing the checkered tamper-evident pattern underneath.
Because the warranty was already void and I had my refund, I decided to open the metal heatsink to see what was going on.
Here are the facts of what I found inside:
The bare drive had a perfectly transferred Samsung 990 Pro label, complete with all the correct barcodes and part numbers.
The actual hardware underneath the sticker was a cheap, 1TB Micron drive utilizing a budget Phison controller.
The Realization:
If I had not secured that returnless refund upfront and simply returned the tampered drive through the normal process, Amazon's returns department would have eventually discovered the fake hardware. They would have accused me of the hardware swap, banned my account, and denied the $1,750 refund entirely.
I can’t complain to Amazon or return the drive as I have a refund already and I can’t ask Samsung for help as the void sticker was removed!
TL;DR: Scammers are swapping cheap SSDs into premium heatsinks and returning them to Amazon. Inspect your high-end PC parts the second they arrive, check your tamper stickers, and be extremely careful with how you handle returns on opened hardware.
Edit: the seller is AMAZON themselves. Listed as brand new!