JAMAICA, N.Y. — On December 8, 2022, U.S.
JAMAICA, N.Y. — On December 8, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York hosted a joint media event highlighting counterfeit goods. Just in time for the holiday shopping madness, HSI and CBP offered a presentation about counterfeit goods and how consumers can protect themselves from purchasing “knockoffs” of brand-name items.
“CBP’s primary mission is to protect our nation while facilitating legitimate travel and trade. This includes protecting consumers from unsafe goods. We execute this mission by partnering with industry, HSI, other federal agencies and foreign governments to detect and intercept cross-border trade in these harmful and dangerous illicit goods,” said Frank Russo, Director of CBP’s New York Field Office. “The risks associated with purchasing counterfeit good are sizable. The lower prices you pay may come with a high cost to you and your family.”
“This holiday season, shoppers should be on the lookout for potentially hazardous products while hunting for the best deals online. From the dangers of faulty electronics to tainted personal care products, counterfeit goods put your safety at risk at the cost of hard-earned money. Buying from dubious websites can also put your personal and financial information at risk as you may hand over your most sensitive private information to fraudsters. If a deal seems too good to be true, it very likely is,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Marina Vides. “HSI works with our partners around the world to protect consumers from criminal organizations who exploit the legitimate market with substandard and dangerous goods.”
CBP and HSI protect businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program, and IPR enforcement remains a CBP Priority Trade Issue.
Every year, CBP seizes a wide variety of counterfeit products from all over the world. In FY 2021, CBP seized over 27,000 shipments of counterfeit goods that violated IPR worth over $3.3 billion, had the goods been genuine.
The theft of intellectual property and the trade in substandard and often dangerous goods threaten America’s economy, stifle innovation and are a danger to consumer health and safety. Further, these illicit activities fund criminal activities and support trans-national organized crime. CBP has established the Truth Behind Counterfeits educational campaign to raise consumer awareness about the health and safety, legal and economic consequences of purchasing counterfeit goods. For more information, visit www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.
If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please contact CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. IPR violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.
