In no particular order, here are the most counterfeited things!
Wait until you find out how a guy who was caught with 200 million in fake money only
got 6 weeks!
10 - Watches If there's a luxury good that’s become sort
of an icon for counterfeiting, it's definitely the luxury watch.
Many eager buyers get scammed every day by so-called “official” retailers who pass
off fake Rolexes as real rolexes.
Of course, there are also the people who’re actually looking for the high quality fakes.
Experts have warned people to only buy from certified retailers.
But the counterfeit industry, mainly based in, you guessed it, China, has gotten so good
at it, counterfeit watches are virtually undetectable.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to spot a fake watch, especially if its sold online.
The old rules of differentiating between a counterfeit and real watch simply don’t
apply anymore.
Counterfeit manufacturers are now almost able to perfectly replicate the originals.
Nowadays, they have the look and the same weight as real watches.
High quality counterfeits may even have the same movements!
That’s because some counterfeit manufacturers get the movement mechanisms from the same
suppliers as the real companies use!
So what’s the easiest way to make sure you’re buying a real watch?Unless you’re an expert,
just make sure you’re buying from a certified retailer.
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9 - Kobe beef Interestingly enough, one of the most counterfeit
items around the world is Kobe beef.
It’s the world’s most famous red meat.
But it’s also misunderstood.
Kobe is an actual place in Japan, and its beef is just one regional style of Japanese
Wagyu.
Wagyu beef is cultivated ONLY in Japan with Japanese cattle.
And Kobe is the most famous variant.
Kind of like how champagne is only from Champagne, France.
Kobe beef has become the most expensive delicacy in some of the most exclusive restaurants
in the world.
Only a sliver of the many restaurants claiming to serve it offer the real thing.
Even higher end restaurants such as Old Homestead and McCormick and Schmicks have passed off
beef as Kobe when it wasn’t!
It’s not only in the US do we get fake kobe beef sold passed off as real Kobe.
Asia is no exception to this rule.
With the rise in popularity of Kobe beef, the creation of a black market also came along.
Hong Kong, Singapore and other high-paying Asian markets are the main targets.
Only enough Kobe Beef reaches the U.S. to satisfy the average yearly beef consumption
of just 77 Americans!
It’s so rare, Kobe’s marketing board actually licenses individual restaurants.
Real Kobe beef is available at just eight restaurants across the US.
Next time someone tells you that they’ve had Kobe beef before, it’s probably safe
to call them out!
8 - Consumer electronics If technology has made us understand anything,
it’s that it has a strong appeal for EVERYONE.
So much so that millions of people get scammed yearly in their pursuit to obtain the latest
tech gadget the market has to offer.
The black market for fake electronics has become one of the largest industries worldwide.
That’s prompted the US government to take a closer look at what exactly is happening.
In 2017, border agents reported 4,137 seizures of counterfeit consumer electronics.
But there’s still plenty that get through.
But what exactly is the risk of using counterfeit consumer electronics?
The main thing is safety.
Many of the manufacturers haven't taken into account the proper security concerns that
are necessary.
Devices that depend on lithium ion batteries are a clear example.
If these batteries are poorly manufactured, they can easily overheat.
This can make the device catch on fire, along with many other lesser complications.
Because of the safety issues, the US government's hunt for counterfeit items has intensified
over the years.
7 - Perfumes and cologne The hazardous counterfeiting of cosmetics
has become a multi-million dollar industry on an international level.
China is the main manufacturer of fake cosmetics.
The lure of fake luxury items has made people deal with terrible consequences.
Counterfeit perfumes and colognes have been found with all sorts of weird substances.
Traces of urine, antifreeze, and flammable liquids are just some examples of the stuff
that’s been found!
At this stage, there's no way of knowing what's in your cologne or perfume if you bought it
from an unknown source!
Back in 2016, five men were arrested for the illegal distribution of counterfeit beauty
products.
That included fragrances from brands such as Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
ICE confiscated roughly 10,000 boxes containing counterfeit fragrances.
They were destined for distribution to various businesses in the New York City area, and
e-commerce sites as well, according to Homeland Security investigator Angel Melendez.
The Department of Homeland Security reportedly made 2,301 seizures in 2015.
That was almost 25% more than the 1,841 seizures in fiscal 2014!
6 - Cigarettes Who knew that there are fake cigarettes floating
around?
But there definitely are, and the reason they exist is because of taxes imposed on cigarettes.
Cigarette prices highly fluctuate from country to country.
The country that has the most expensive cigarettes is Australia.
Many countries in Europe have high prices as well.
And that’s why many people have devised ways to bring in cheaper cigarettes into those
countries.
Some people do get authentic cigarettes for cheap.
They may buy from people that got cigarettes from a cheap cigarette country while on vacation.
But that’s not always the case.
Many times, cheap cigarettes bought aren’t real.
The big problem is that many fake cigarettes are filled with hazardous chemicals.
Yep, even worse than the bad additives that’s already in real cigarettes!
Famous brands have been looking to protect their image and governments are trying to
stop the sale of illegal cigarettes.
Obviously, the main concern is safety.
Some counterfeit cigarettes have even been found to contain arsenic!
It’s been reported that between 6 to 8 and a half% of all cigarette sales worldwide come
from illegal trade.
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5 - Pharmaceuticals
If you thought there was a limit to what people are capable of doing, think again! this is
the case of counterfeit medication.
Certain individuals will do whatever it takes to profit off people’s illnesses.
Experts have narrowed down illegal medicine produced into two groups: substandard medication
and counterfeits.
Substandard medications are created with similar chemical properties.
But where they differ is in the amount of active ingredient.
Typically these medications will have some of the active ingredients, but not enough
to tackle the symptoms.
These medicines basically are just bad knockoffs or poorly made generics.
Counterfeit medication, on the other hand, are medication made to pass off as the real
thing.
It’s become a multimillion dollar global industry that’s become a problem everywhere.
The majority of them are produced in India.
Certain suppliers even offer different levels of counterfeit medications.
At the top level are actual medications with all the active ingredients.
At the bottom level are medications that’s just plain chalk dust.
The main concern is safety again.
You just don’t know exactly what you’re getting in these medications.
The fear of having the wrong amount of active ingredients or even expired chemicals has
lead authorities worldwide crack down on manufacturers.
Counterfeit items don’t just stop at things we buy.
They extend to people we meet or people we see on TV!
Watch our video People who aren’t who they say they are to find about these counterfeit
people!
4 - Olive oil
Why is something as basic as olive oil counterfeited?
Olive oil scams are profitable because making olive oil correctly is really hard.
People just also aren’t knowledgeable enough to know what’s real and what’s not.
And that’s why counterfeit olive oil is all over the place, because it’s cheap to
make and it’s highly profitable.
It's believed that roughly 80% of the Italian olive oil on the market is fraudulent.
The olive oil in your kitchen marked “Italian extra virgin” is most likely fake.
Even if you bought it from your local grocery store!
Either it's low quality olive oil falsely marked as virgin or extra-virgin OR, it's
olive oil mixed with other oils.
At worst, it's not olive oil at all but a vegetable oil disguised with coloring and
aroma.
There ARE ways to make sure you're getting the good stuff.
Start with the bottle: it needs to be dark, to avoid photo-oxidation of the oil.
Make sure the label states clearly where it comes from.
Beware of the “Imported from” on the bottle.
Typically that means the oil ISN’T from Italy.
Lastly, high quality real olive oil isn’t cheap!
3 - Alcohol
Sometimes a lot of fun means a high price to pay.
That’s the case for alcohol consumption in general.
But, there’s now new concerns regarding what people are actually drinking.
Millions of people are taking high risks without actually knowing it.
There exists a whole industry of counterfeit alcohol.
It’s produced through unregulated processes that are just plain dangerous.
Alcoholic beverages that are illegally produced have been a big issue in places such as India,
Iran and Indonesia.
Most recently, tourists from the US have been linked with counterfeit alcohol that’s been
causing a big mess in the Dominican Republic.
Production costs for counterfeits are far lower than real alcohol.
Since it’s created without regulation, there are no known health or quality checks during
the manufacturing process.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 25% of all alcohol that is consumed
worldwide is counterfeit.
2 - Money All around the world, counterfeit money is
made of all types of currencies.
However, most cases surround US dollars.
The way money feels is a big part of money’s security.
The paper money is made from is made in only one mill, and that mill makes ONLY money.
Typically, counterfeit money just looks AND feels fake.
But not this case from Canada.
In May 2012, Canadian police seized a million dollars worth of fake US bills.
Officers on the scene were amazed by the quality of the counterfeit bills.
Local man Frank Bourassa was immediately charged and was the only suspect named.
The police described the fake notes as "virtually undetectable to the naked eye.
As well as looking just right, the counterfeit bills felt identical to real notes, and they
came with a "dark vertical stripe" that perfectly imitated the security thread on real bills.
The level of production was so elaborate, the bills even had serial numbers printed
on them in sequence, something quite uncommon with counterfeit money!
Bourassa was eventually only given a 6 week prison sentence.
But that short sentence was most likely because he handed in a whopping TWO HUNDRED million
dollars in counterfeit bills before facing trial!
But supposedly, he made 250 million dollars worth of fake bills.
So where’s the other 50 million?
1 - Luxury Items Ahh you knew that luxury items were on this
list.
Fashion has always been the counterfeiter’s biggest target.
We all know of someone that has bought a fake designer handbag.
The fake and counterfeit fashion industry has become so profitable, it’s now equalled
the economy of a country the size of Austria.
With clunky designer sneakers rising in popularity in recent years, designer shoes are the newest
targets for counterfeiters.
Adidas Yeezys are one example, and Balenciagas are another.
Purses and clothing still aren’t too far behind though.
China is the mother of all production when it comes to counterfeit fashion items.
Around 2 and a half percent of global imports to the US are counterfeit or pirated goods.
This amounts to about half a trillion dollars’ worth of merchandise, and these ill-gotten
gains fund organized crime.
Watch this next video to find out who are the real life versions of counterfeits!