Re:Don’t plug in that free Microsoft Office USB drive you go...
by surfpel on Saturday August 20, 2022 @11:34PM
(#32537186)
> ...USB controller chip alone is about $1...
That's for official parts and at lower quantities I presume. Knock off chips are often pennies, especially at scale. When I buy chips for side projects, I often just source them from ebay/alibaba where you can get them for ridiculously cheap prices. [1][2]
> ...it's still orders of magnitude more expensive than email based spam.
Relative to how much they drain from elderly folks retirement accounts, I think it's a logical investment for them given that existing scammer tactics are being made obsolete.
In any case, I just checked Alibaba and found several listings [3][4] that claim ≤50¢ at scale. They look rather professional and you could even brand a logo on them.
That's for official parts and at lower quantities I presume. Knock off chips are often pennies, especially at scale. When I buy chips for side projects, I often just source them from ebay/alibaba where you can get them for ridiculously cheap prices. [1][2]
> ...it's still orders of magnitude more expensive than email based spam.
Relative to how much they drain from elderly folks retirement accounts, I think it's a logical investment for them given that existing scammer tactics are being made obsolete.
In any case, I just checked Alibaba and found several listings [3][4] that claim ≤50¢ at scale. They look rather professional and you could even brand a logo on them.
1 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/392526892417 (USB - Serial converter, NOT a USB drive IC)
2 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/392540419491 (power bank chip)
3 - https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Usb-Drive-Usb-Drive-L...
4 - https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Cheap-customized-Logo...