Super Bowl of counterfeiting
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are cracking down on counterfeit apparel and sports memorabilia in advance of the weekend’s Super Bowl.
ICE said its agents and an investigator under contract to the National Football League descended on a sports memorabilia store in Glendale, Ariz., over the weekend, seizing an array of counterfeit items, including a signed football jersey retailing for more than $2,000.
The jerseys, some bearing the autographs of famous athletes, are among the more than 1,200 pieces of counterfeit sports memorabilia and clothing confiscated by ICE and local law enforcement in the last five days. ICE investigators estimate the retail value of the merchandise seized so far exceeds $140,000.
“Historically, major events such as the Super Bowl are a magnet for IPR fraud, but we’re using all of our resources and going after the counterfeits and the counterfeiters,” said ICE Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers. “Not only are the fans who pay good money for phony merchandise being ripped off, but the proceeds from this kind of fraud are often funneled back into other types of criminal enterprises both here and abroad.”
Super Bowl of counterfeiting
