Sure, we've all heard of fake gold and silver bars...

...but how about fake copper? Or, better yet, fake aluminum?

https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/a-...-it-had-been-hit-by-a-40-000-euro-metal-scam/

If there's money to be scammed, scammers will find it...

 

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Damn, China shows it's sleazy side again, that's a horrible reality for that company and embarrassing as mentioned by their company rep!

 

There's nothing they won't fake.

 

Sounds like the purchasing department needs to VET their supplier
Dealing with china, you need to Check Everything.

 

Even in my line of work.
When we order a product out and it comes in...we verify what we got and inspect the quality.
I've been in the business for 40 years and yet some distributors try and slide something by now and again.
When I catch something, my first question is why would you waste your money shipping me this and how quick can it be replaced.
Some distributors understand that I've been in the business long enough to know what a good job looks like.
I remind them that my name is on the final product and I have to deliver it to my customer personally.
If it doesn't meet my standards you can bet you'll be redoing it.
I spend tens of thousands of dollars with these companies and they have been in the business for as long as I have... quality is JOB 1.

 

This is why I only buy from reputable sources.

 

Once I heard about the Chinese counterfeit toilet paper, I knew we were all in trouble.

 

Vet and verify everything. For decades counterfeit or adulterated products such as baby's formula and cat food have come from China. (They killed my son's pet cat a few years ago.) I don't like to buy ANYTHING from China. The presumption is it is probably fake or adulterated. Not that everything is, but enough is that you have to start with that assumption. But that is nothing new. Fake and deceitful goods have been sold in every culture throughout history, such as the fourees of ancient Lydia.

 

In china, with the recent high demand there has been a TON of silver Plated bars, etc. 60 tons is one estimate.

 

In this realm (industrial manufacturers sourcing raw materials), I think there are usually multiple layers of testing and validation for stuff coming from new suppliers.

Not that it'll take very sophisticated testing to catch a pallet of aluminum sheets that's actually a few aluminum sheets on top of one steel slab on top of a big void.

What amazes me is that there are "suppliers" who actually get away with this, or think they can.

 

I do everything I can to avoid eating anything that comes from China.