Unfortunately, we are living in an extremely crazy time right now, where semiconductor manufacturers are literally overrun by the demand for chips. Since, unlike toilet paper, it takes considerably more resources to produce chips or even a new plant, but at the same time demand has increased extremely, this problem unfortunately cannot be eliminated in a short time.
In the meantime, chip counterfeiters are earning an extremely large amount of money by foisting their counterfeits on companies that are desperately looking for goods. I have even seen spot offers that did not contain a chip except for the lead frame and the printed or lasered molding.
To come back to your question, you already mentioned it - it's best to buy only from trusted sources. Alternatively, you can discuss the labels of the tapes or boxes with an ST contact in your region and let them check it.
Good luck!
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/Peter
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