DDR chips stolen in transit

OVER $300,000 worth of DDR memory chips were stolen yesterday in Taiwan, according to a report in Digitimes by way of the Chinese-language Economic Daily News.

The chips, made by Hynix Semiconductor,were mostly 400MHz parts and were on their way to distributors when the theft occurred in Taoyuan. Three assailants used a machete and stun gun to threaten the driver.

Of course, chips have always been attractive targets for thieves as they are ultra-portable, comparatively easy to resell, and of high-value. The Hynix theft occupied just 20 boxes, according to Digitimes.

Although some chip makers have unique identifiers to prevent against fraud and big scams, this will do little to deter the unscrupulous buyer. µ