PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — From jerseys and purses, to even medicine — counterfeit items come in all shapes and sizes. But do you know the dangers of purchasing them?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says they can pose health and safety risks.
Brand knockoffs of sports merchandise, watches, handbags, sneakers and pharmaceutical products were stretched out on tables between terminals B and C at Philadelphia International Airport Friday. Most of the items were seized in large shipments.
Supervisory Officer Joshua Mason with U.S. Customs and Border Protection held up things like a Phillies jersey and Louis Vuitton bag. He says you can tell if they are fake by looking at details like patterns and stitching. The bag, he says, is made of plastic, and smells of both plastic and glue. The jersey, he flipped inside out and noted poor craftsmanship.
“If you were to flip it inside out you might see some things like inferior stitching, or some of the cloth that is used to back the stitching is still on it,” Mason said.
He says the fakes find their way to consumers in this country, and they could be highly flammable or easily fall apart.
“The medications could be water pills or sugar pills, or they can be something different that actually could make you sicker,” Mason said.
And, as for toys, they could be coated in lead paint or pose choking hazards to children.
Officials say more than 90% of counterfeit seizures are of packages that arrive by international mail and express consignment delivery services.
Customs and Border Protection seized about $2.8 billion worth of counterfeit goods nationwide last year.