Consumers Face Dangerous or Deadly Counterfeit Products Daily

Unsuspecting consumers at risk from every day products

September 23, 2013, Los Angeles, CA – Unaware consumers are facing dangerous and sometimes deadly counterfeit products on a daily basis -- literally. Most consumers still believe counterfeit products are limited to phony Rolex watches, tennis shoes, apparel or fake handbags, and they can identify a fake. "That is simply not true" says Craig Crosby, publisher of The Counterfeit Report® website (TheCounterfeitReport.com). "Un-informed consumers are likely using or exposed to dangerous or deadly counterfeit products every day."

For example, The Counterfeit Report features "Counterfeit Product Alerts" with photos on all the unsafe products listed below;

• Consumers may be looking right at a counterfeit auto airbag while driving each day. An estimated 200,000 vehicles have counterfeit airbags installed that likely will not work according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA"). While these air bags look nearly identical to the certified, original equipment parts—including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers -- NHTSA testing showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment. 21 vehicle brands have been identified by NHTSA, including BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, and others. The counterfeit airbags were installed in repair shops not affiliated with the new car dealerships.
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• Watercraft fires may become catastrophic if you use a counterfeit copy of the fire extinguisher manufactured by Amerex Corporation and Buckeye Fire Equipment and bearing a United States Coast Guard "USCG Approved" certification. The Coast Guard warns that the counterfeit extinguishers capability to extinguish a fire is unproven; they may be charged with a powdery substance that is not even a fire extinguishing agent says the Coast Guard, and the pressure gauge may not function or give false readings. "On-board fires are a serious threat to boaters, and a non-performing fire extinguisher could easily prove deadly for all on-board." say Crosby.
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• Counterfeit iPhone chargers displaying counterfeit "Apple" trademarked branding and counterfeit Underwriters Labs (UL) markings can easily deceive consumers into believing they are they are receiving an authentic, safe product. The counterfeit chargers are available in both the US 120volt and European 100-220volt versions. Although some counterfeit chargers include easy to spot spelling errors "Applg" or "Abble" vs. "Apple," others are visually identical to the authentic item. Electrocutions, including a death, have been reported by users of third party iPhone chargers.
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• Counterfeit batteries which can fail at a critical time, damage your equipment, leak or start a fire can be utilized in medical equipment, smoke detectors, emergency responder's safety equipment, flashlights and baby monitors. Counterfeit batteries are common, with Duracell seizing over 100,000 counterfeit batteries in China in just one week.
  
  
• Counterfeit fire safety parts, equipment and devices including fire system sprinklers, fire hoses and water valves may be present in homes and businesses. Counterfeit fire safety may not perform as expected and pose serious risks to consumers and fire safety personnel. product link
  
  
• Although consumer exposure to dangerous counterfeit pharmaceuticals is widely publicized, consumers continue to buy drugs from online pharmacies and face substantial risk with some estimates are as high as 700,000 deaths globally from illicit medications. The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is still no accurate estimate of the global scale of counterfeit medicines, yet a United Nations report details that organized crime revenues exceed $5 Billion from illicit pharmaceuticals. Industry experts estimate that 10-40% of online pharmaceuticals are counterfeit, contain inert, untested, weak and even deadly ingredients. As an example, while Customs officers in Angola recently seized 33 Million counterfeit doses of the Malaria drug Novartis Coartem, French Customs officers were seizing 1.2 million doses of fake aspirin hidden in a shipment of tea from China.
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• Counterfeit products are also in the skies. The FAA estimates that over 500,000 counterfeit aircraft parts are installed in aircraft each year, with potentially catastrophic results. The US military is also reporting a huge influx of counterfeit parts that are putting our troops at risk. For example, an ice-detection module in the military's P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft was found to have one of 300 untested used parts that were sold as "new" by a China supplier. Counterfeit electronics hiding deep within products and systems are not so easy to detect.
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• Counterfeit fragrances are very common and easily fool consumers. Authentic looking, but counterfeit perfumes and colognes of all the major manufacturers are purchased by unsuspecting consumers on eBay and Amazon for personal use, or given as gifts. These consumers and gift recipients would be alarmed to learn that lab tests on counterfeit fragrances identified ingredients such as antifreeze, urine and bacteria which can result in infections, rashes and respiratory problems.
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Think you can spot a counterfeit? "Probably not" says Crosby who reviews hundreds of counterfeit products. "Serious problems and hazards await unsuspecting consumers who unknowingly use counterfeit products every day that are widely distributed over internet websites, auction websites and swap meets." And, the counterfeit product industry is big, very big -- expected to top $1.5 Trillion globally by 2015. "Consumers looking for a bargain are handing over good money for bad products at near retail prices believing they are purchasing the real thing" says Crosby, "they simply don't know."

The Counterfeit Report website features over 200 global brands and a wide array of counterfeit products including hundreds of photos to educate and help consumers visually identify the fakes. "If it's manufactured, it's probably been counterfeited and will likely fool you." says Crosby.

The Counterfeit Report is the first and only website to provide consumers a free and informative visual guide to detecting counterfeit products, promote consumer awareness, and provide manufacturers with brand protection and direct consumer education. The Counterfeit Report uses photos to show consumers the sophistication of counterfeiters and their ability to create visually identical counterfeit products and packaging of products they would never suspect are counterfeited. Consumers can report seeing or purchasing counterfeit products directly to the manufacturer on the website, while manufacturers have an immediate resource to list and update their counterfeit product information in a central venue for the greatest audience exposure.

Counterfeiting is a global criminal enterprise; the criminals avoid taxes, destroy an estimated 750,000 US jobs, and cost US businesses over $250 Billion annually. Illegal counterfeiting activity is profitable, difficult to track and widely un-punished. While consumer awareness is only part of the global solution, counterfeited products are now very deceptive, and consumers often unknowingly purchase hazardous or deadly products. "It's the consumer who ultimately gets hurt" concluded Crosby.

Website: www.theCounterfeitReport.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Counterfeit-Report/131568053660579
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