Get Our Email Newsletter

Counterfeit Super Bowl Merchandise Floods Miami

Federal agents have seized roughly $120 million in counterfeit sports merchandise since last year’s Super Bowl. The counterfeit merchandise ranges from hats and jerseys to rings and game tickets. So how do you spot the difference?

Mike Petkov and his son were shown images of popular items and asked to identify the real deal and the fakes.  “Yeah, that one. I think it’s real. It’s hard to tell because they all have the crown, the sticker emblems on them,” Petkov said.

What he didn’t know was that all the merchandise he was shown was counterfeit, demonstrating how difficult it is to spot the difference.

- Digital Partner -

The Department of Homeland Security’s Lamar Jackson identified a few ways to weed out the fake stuff. He spotted the wrong emblem on items and pointed out some excess paper on others.

“A lot of the counterfeits — if you look at the stitching – it bleeds over from letter to letter,” Jackson said. “Obviously, not a precise job on the stitching.”

Jackson said the easiest way to avoid buying counterfeit merchandise is to stay away from street peddlers. Though buying from them could save a few bucks, what you buy may not be the real thing. “The easy answer is you go to an authentic store,” Jackson added… ArkLaTex Homepage

Loss Prevention Magazine updates delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by thousands of loss prevention professionals, security, and retail management from the store level to the c-suite.

What's New

Digital Partners

Become a Digital Partner

Violence in the Workplace

Download this 34-page special report from Loss Prevention Magazine about types and frequency of violent incidents, impacts on employees and customers, effectiveness of tools and training, and much more.

Webinars

View All | Sponsor a Webinar

Whitepapers

View All | Submit a Whitepaper

LP Solutions

View All | Submit Your Content

Loss Prevention Media Logo

Stay up-to-date with our free email newsletter

The trusted newsletter for loss prevention professionals, security and retail management. Get the latest news, best practices, technology updates, management tips, career opportunities and more.

No, thank you.

View our privacy policy.