Post by "Pop" Stran on Dec 28, 2016 8:07:46 GMT -5
Operating predominantly out of China, scammers set up generic online stores that sell name brand items or mimic the websites of big name brand companies.
On these sites, scammers sell fake or counterfeit products at significantly reduced prices designed to attract buyers looking for big deals on name brand merchandise.
The prime goal of these scammers is to gain access to the credit card numbers of their victims and then use the numbers to fraudulently make purchases, or make a buck with the information on the black market.
In some cases, the criminals even go so far as to send fake or counterfeit products to victims. Since the merchandise ships from international locations, victims often remain unaware of their involvement in an illegal scam until weeks have passed.
Although many major designer brands companies hire investigators to regularly scan large sites like ebay, it's nearly impossible to discover these fly-by-night sites and shut them down before hundreds of consumers have been trapped and burned.
Only purchase from established stores and opt for domestic shipping. This will insure that your purchase has already cleared US Customs. That's not a guarantee of authenticity, but it does eliminate a common way to get burned, ie: You pay for a product, and for international shipping, but your items are seized at the border as evidence of counterfeiting activity.
> Yes; The US Customs agents are also watching diligently for this type of illegal activity as well. There's just so much of it flooding into this country that they are essentially trying to catch rain in a net...but they do stop tons of counterfeit product every month.
*possession of counterfeit designer merchandise is a violation of local, state, and federal law. The manufacture of counterfeit good violates international copyright laws, and purchasing these items can make you liable.