The Sneaky World of Fake Memory Cards.

The memory card market is absolutely crawling with fakes. Even trusted sites and retailers have succumbed.

So how do these dodgy memory cards get into the market in the first place?

The Great Capacity Con Trick

It all starts with the rejects of the tech world.  Tiny, low-capacity memory chips that cost less than a Photo Club Kit Kat. Instead of being thrown away, they’re scooped up by scammers who reprogram the card's controller so they appear to be something much bigger.

When you insert a memory card, your camera doesn’t physically check the card's capacity. Instead, it communicates directly with the card's controller to verify the total capacity. It is this “controller” that scammers reprogram so it gives false information to your device, be it your camera or computer.

Some scammers don’t even fake the card.

Products meant for bulk sale, overseas markets, or discount retailers get intercepted, repackaged, and sold as “premium” stock.

It’s not always a counterfeit in the traditional sense, but it’s definitely not what you think you’re buying.

Even if you buy from a “trusted” listing on Amazon or eBay, you can still get a fake thanks to something called “commingled inventory”.

Imagine a big bin labelled “Brand‑Name 128GB Cards.” Now imagine every seller, good, bad, and wildly suspicious, tossing their stock into the same bin.

When you order one, the warehouse worker grabs whatever’s on top. It might be genuine. It might be a reprogrammed spud. You're playing a game of roulette.

I asked Mrs S to buy me a very expensive Lexar Professional 256GB CF card when she visited relatives in Thailand. The UK price for one of these beauties is £341 at the moment. June 2026. She got one for around £200.

During normal, everyday use, it is fine. Happy days. However, when I upped the frame rate at last year's Old Buckenham Airshow, or when shooting fast action, it was losing frames; most images were corrupted with green blocks or horizontal lines, rendering them totally useless.

I tested the card, and surprise, surprise. The card is a genuine Lexar, but it clearly didn’t pass muster during quality control, as it is labelled with a writing speed of 1900 MB/s but only writes at 325 MB/s. The capacity, incidentally, is correct.

Even trusted outlets and retailers can be fooled. So how do we avoid the fakes?

Stick to the big names:

• SanDisk

• Samsung

• Lexar

• Kingston

• Sony

These companies have strong anti‑counterfeit measures and consistent quality, although my experience shows you can’t just trust the brand name.

Where to Buy Safely

Your best options:

• Direct from the manufacturer

• Big, reputable retailers

• Local electronics stores

• Camera shops (they’re picky about stock)

On Amazon or eBay, avoid third‑party sellers unless they’re well‑known companies with a long, clean history. I will no longer buy my cards from either one!

Avoid

• Brand‑new sellers

• Too‑good‑to‑be‑true prices

• Generic listings with vague names

• Anything that feels “off”

Your gut is a surprisingly good counterfeit detector.

Testing a card is the best way to know if it’s real or just pretending.

1. Use H2testw (Windows) or F3 (Mac/Linux)

These tools fill the entire card with data and check if the write speeds and capacity are genuine. Please bear in mind your card reader/USB port speed may be slower than your card, especially if you have had it a while, so you may get an inaccurate result. Even if your card tests wrongly, I would not replace it unless it presents actual issues in use, as mine has. I have added the hyperlink for Windows users, as it is pretty straightforward to run. Please read the "How to use" section. I have not included a hyperlink for Mac users, as I know nothing about Mac computers, and the installation and use of F3 look a bit daunting. I have personally downloaded and run the H2testw (Windows) software. It is relatively easy to install and understand, and I have had no issues, apart from finding out I have been scammed and now need to buy a very expensive card, again!

Disclaimer: If you choose to download and run the above software, you do so at your own discretion, and neither the club nor I can take responsibility for any issues that may arise on your device.

Final Thoughts

Fake memory cards are everywhere, but once you know how they get into the market and how to spot them, you’re already miles ahead of the scammers. A little caution goes a long way, especially when your photos, videos, and files are on the line.