The big game means big business, with an estimated $13.9 billion spent on Super Bowl related purchases by consumers last year, but not all of the products being bought are authentic. Just before the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, federal authorities have seized nearly $100 million in fake goods, including counterfeit Super Bowl merchandise in Los Angeles.
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Seized merchandise included fake jerseys, jackets, hats, rings, souvenirs, and even fake tickets to the game.
In total, the authorities seized over 267,500 items as part of “Operation Team Player,” a joint effort involving U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Customs, and Border Protections, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the NFL, among other agencies.
The federal authorities worked with local law enforcement to identify the places where crooks would sell counterfeit merchandise, including flea markets, retail outlets, pop-up shops, and street vendors.
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The bogus items were usually marketed as legitimate and carried a hefty price tag.
The items were worth an estimated $97.8 million, according to authorities. The amount seized is more than double that of last year when “Operation Team Player” seized $45 million worth of bogus goods.
While the operation was successful, a lot of counterfeit sales have moved online, which not only makes it harder to catch the crooks but also for customers to inspect an item before purchasing it.
“Beware of phony online ads for products and tickets, whether they’re on websites, social media or marketplace listings,” said NFL intellectual property counsel Bonnie Jarrett. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
“Remember, carefully inspect your merchandise,” he continued. “Look for holograms and logos of the NFL.”
Stealing intellectual property is not a “victimless crime,” according to Steve Francis, the executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations.
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“The illicit proceeds resulting from the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products are more often than not funneled back to smart other criminal organizations,” Francis said. “But more importantly, the illegal manufacture and sale of these counterfeit goods represent predatory trade practices that endanger public health and the economy and restrict competitiveness of United States products in the global market.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned that counterfeit items could even cause bodily harm because the consumer doesn’t know what materials were used to create the counterfeit items.
The Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday at the world’s most expensive NFL stadium, SoFi.
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Source: ABC News, Los Angeles Times
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