Pandemic lockdowns in industrial cities have pinched supply of finished goods and raw materials. Demand for electronic products has skyrocketed due to both the need for remote work/school gear and simple boredom from people unable to travel, dine out, and party in the ways they’re accustomed to. Smaller and less scrupulous companies hoping to cash in on the pandemic pinch have a quicker, easier way to satisfy unfilled market demand: fake goods. Counterfeit electronics aren’t a new problem, but counterfeit chips target production lines in danger of shutting down entirely.”]
Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/chip-shortages-lead-to-more-counterfeit-chips-and-devices/