Bogus sports merchandising is a criminal market that nets billions a year globally. This year, there will likely be even more, with the world's focus on the London Olympics. British experts have already made hundreds of arrests for trying to move bogus souvenirs. And they are warning vacationers coming to see the games to be cautious about what they buy.
Stealing cash
Much like bootlegging movies and music, the sale of counterfeit merchandise is stealing. It takes advantage of the goodwill built by others, and takes sales based on that goodwill from them.
There was a massive Major League Baseball merchandise ring in KS City that Gilbert Trill and his team stopped. Trill is an assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in the area. He explained:
"Selling counterfeit goods is stealing. Counterfeit goods steal U.S. jobs, create inferior and sometimes dangerous products, and support criminal organizations."
Just the beginning
ABC reported seizure of thousands of pounds of phony merchandise at Port of London on June 8 including 400 vests, 500 cigarette lighters and 7,000 Olympic tote bags.
ABC News spoke with bill Bilan, the Trading Standards Institute's Olympic strategy group chairman, who said:
"We're really busy and getting busier."
Interpol warning
The quality of bogus merchandise is not as good generally, and the items do not always cost less too. Interpol explained that the funds generally go to terrorist or criminal activities. Also, child labor is typically used to be able to produce the items. It is almost never worth it to buy the bogus stuff.
Spotting phonies
In recent years, with improved technologies, it has become harder and harder to detect the real merchandise from the bogus. However, any legitimate Olympics souvenir will have a holographic tag that rotates. Also, outside of Olympic Park, there is only one place where legitimate mementos are sold. That is at a temporary structure on Rotten Row in London's Hyde Park.
Daily finance points out that you should look for misspelled names, poor stitching, uneven colors and any other thing that might indicate the product is phony. Do not purchase merchandise unless it is from a trusted vendor such as the ones mentioned above. The finance site points out that you may end up losing the merchandise in consumers on the way home anyway, so it is certainly not worth it.
Also, if the price seems too low to be real... you know the rest of the sentence.
Stealing cash
Much like bootlegging movies and music, the sale of counterfeit merchandise is stealing. It takes advantage of the goodwill built by others, and takes sales based on that goodwill from them.
There was a massive Major League Baseball merchandise ring in KS City that Gilbert Trill and his team stopped. Trill is an assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in the area. He explained:
"Selling counterfeit goods is stealing. Counterfeit goods steal U.S. jobs, create inferior and sometimes dangerous products, and support criminal organizations."
Just the beginning
ABC reported seizure of thousands of pounds of phony merchandise at Port of London on June 8 including 400 vests, 500 cigarette lighters and 7,000 Olympic tote bags.
ABC News spoke with bill Bilan, the Trading Standards Institute's Olympic strategy group chairman, who said:
"We're really busy and getting busier."
Interpol warning
The quality of bogus merchandise is not as good generally, and the items do not always cost less too. Interpol explained that the funds generally go to terrorist or criminal activities. Also, child labor is typically used to be able to produce the items. It is almost never worth it to buy the bogus stuff.
Spotting phonies
In recent years, with improved technologies, it has become harder and harder to detect the real merchandise from the bogus. However, any legitimate Olympics souvenir will have a holographic tag that rotates. Also, outside of Olympic Park, there is only one place where legitimate mementos are sold. That is at a temporary structure on Rotten Row in London's Hyde Park.
Daily finance points out that you should look for misspelled names, poor stitching, uneven colors and any other thing that might indicate the product is phony. Do not purchase merchandise unless it is from a trusted vendor such as the ones mentioned above. The finance site points out that you may end up losing the merchandise in consumers on the way home anyway, so it is certainly not worth it.
Also, if the price seems too low to be real... you know the rest of the sentence.
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