If you’ve been shopping online for a new hard drive over the past couple of years, you would have undoubtedly stumbled upon a number of listings on popular e-commerce sites like Shopee and Lazada offering high capacity drivers for a fraction of it’s retail price. Most of these listings also claim the drives to be brand new and original devices. However there is always a catch when something seems to good to be true. The listing below (which was taken earlier today) is offering a 16TB Ironwolf Pro drive for RM529.80, a fraction of it’s recommended retail price of RM1,799.
According to a report by Heise Online, Seagate uncovered the operation after a local sales representative flagged unusually low prices for certain hard drives being sold online. Investigations later revealed that the drives were recycled units, many previously used for Chia cryptocurrency mining where diagnostic data had been manipulated to conceal their actual wear and tear.
The scam was sophisticated, involving what Seagate described as an “end-to-end” setup: erasing SMART data, relabelling, repackaging, and distribution. During a raid in May on a workshop located just outside Kuala Lumpur, authorities seized almost 700 hard drives, including Seagate models with capacities of up to 18TB, along with units from Western Digital and Toshiba.
Six individuals were arrested in the operation, with evidence suggesting the group had been actively repackaging desktop drives into “surveillance-grade” models. Video recordings of the relabelling process were also recovered during the raid.
In response, Seagate has tightened its partner programme, requiring distributors and resellers to source products only from authorised channels. Partners will also be subjected to Global Trade Screening (GTS) compliance to mitigate risks from unauthorised suppliers.
While Seagate’s unique firmware made it possible to detect tampering, drives from other manufacturers may not be as easily traceable, raising concerns that similar fraudulent activities could extend beyond this case. Buyers are urged to exercise caution when purchasing storage devices online, particularly when prices appear suspiciously low.
Why this matters
For everyday consumers, storage drives are often a long-term investment, whether for work, gaming, or personal data. Counterfeit or recycled units not only risk premature failure but could also result in permanent data loss.
If you’re shopping for a hard drive:
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Buy from authorised retailers — especially for high-capacity drives.
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Be wary of “too good to be true” prices on e-commerce platforms.
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Check warranty status via the manufacturer’s website as soon as you receive the drive.
At the end of the day, saving a few ringgit on a suspicious listing could cost you far more if the drive fails when you need it most.
Original Story and Images via [Heise.de] (translated)
