The sale of fake merchandise is one of the most popular scams ever used. Whether it is “Roltex” watches or “Dolce and Banana” handbags, fraudsters have been trying to get you to pay premium prices for knock-off products for years. Jim Temmer of the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin told us that it is a big problem. Temmer says, “The government itself has said over $200 billion a year is spent or wasted on counterfeit merchandise.”
The scammers, who are mostly out of China or Hong Kong, tend to make a website that looks legitimate and produce a product that looks almost indistinguishable from the real thing, with cheaper products. Temmer explains the best thing to look for when shopping online is the price that looks too good to be true.
If you believe you have purchased a counterfeit item, Temmer told us you should contact your credit card company, if that is how you paid for it, and they may refund your money, and ask you to destroy the item. Then you should go the BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org.
What to do if you believe you have unwittingly purchased counterfeit goods:
- Ask for a refund. Victims who don’t receive anything when buying online with their credit card, or who receive goods that are counterfeit or not as described, should call the customer service number on the back of their card and request a refund. The report goes into great detail about the process of obtaining a refund and the remedies available to victims.
- Report counterfeit goods. Contact one or more of the following:
- National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asks victims of counterfeit goods to file a complaint with the IPR Center here.
- Better Business Bureau: Victims can file complaints at bbb.org about online sellers that claim to be in the U.S. or Canada. BBB tries to resolve complaints and may help in getting a refund. There is no cost for this service. BBB also looks for and reports patterns of complaints. Consumers can report scams to BBB Scam Tracker.
- Online markets: Victims can complain directly to eBay, Amazon, Facebook and Instagram or other online marketplaces. In addition, Amazon has an “A-Z guarantee” for goods sold by third parties on their site; victims who have purchased counterfeit items from a third-party seller can seek a refund here.
- Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IC3): The FBI takes complaints about counterfeit goods. Complain here.
- Federal Trade Commission: You can complain to the FTC by calling 877/FTC-Help or file a complaint online.
