Lost $80 on a fake thermal camera adapter, buyer beware

I ordered a thermal camera attachment for my phone off an auction site last month for $80. The photos looked legit, but when it arrived the lens was just a plastic cap with a sticker on it. I plugged it in and the app recognized nothing, total junk. Contacted the seller and they ghosted me, so that money is gone. Has anyone else had luck with a real budget thermal attachment for diagnosing boards, or should I just stick with my old IR thermometer?

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white.keith19d ago

Did you check the seller's feedback score before you bid, or was this one of those accounts with a couple hundred ratings that all look copy-pasted? That's usually the tell with these fake thermal adapters, they burn through accounts fast and pivot to a new name when the heat comes. Knowing whether they had a pattern of this might help you and others spot the next scam before dropping cash.