Ian Field wrote:

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Counterfeiting is less jail time than drug running - electronic component
isn't the only thing affected.

Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion, electronics - I can't think of anything
that isn't.

A few years back; a reputable supplier got lumbered with hundreds of
thousands of state of the art CPUs that turned out to be all package and no
silicon.

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** My colleague Rod Elliot ( of ESP ) and I spent considerable time investigating numerous fake transistors that were being sold over the counter here in Australia. Initially it was Motorola MJ15003s & MJ15004s used in amplifier kits and sold folk doing repairs.

I first saw examples back in 1980 from "Dick Smith Electronics" - who sold thousands of counterfeits that way - some to me. And again in 2000, purchased from a different source. The internet was put to good use by me and a friend to embarrass the company out of continuing.

DSE is no longer in business and so too are a couple of others that imported and sold fakes - however they are still on open sale here and all over eBay.

This article was prepared from information gleaned by myself and Rod.

http://sound.whsites.net/fake/counterfeit-p1.htm

http://sound.whsites.net/counterfeit.htm

For a long time now, it has not been safe to buy power BJTs from ANY small supplier or on line dealer - cos their stock consists MOSTLY of fakes.



...... Phil