A 1TB Memory Card for 5 Euros? The Anatomy of a Scam

Due to global supply chain disruptions and macroeconomic shifts, hardware prices have increased across the board. Flash storage media is no exception. Depending on the brand and speed class rating, a legitimate 1TB SD memory card typically retails somewhere between 150 and 250 Euros. That is no small change. While prices used to be slightly lower, they were still far from cheap—and in the current market, they have become exceptionally expensive. The price trajectory of an average memory card looks like this: Yet, my wife managed to purchase a "1TB" memory card on AliExpress for just 5 Euros. To make it more compelling, it was branded as Lenovo—a, you know a well-established and reputable manufacturer. An obvious scam, of course. But how exactly does it work under the hood? What is the underlying technical mechanism, and what do you actually receive? Curiosity got the better of me. "Go ahead and order it," I said. The Hardware & Initial Impressions The packaging arrived with two…