Amazon Still Selling Counterfeit Police Badges Despite Complaints

Amazon’s Executive Team Ignores Counterfeit Police Badge Warnings

May 16, 2017, Los Angeles, CA – Amazon claims to have a strong anti-counterfeit policy, but that claim falls flat. Amazon can’t even keep counterfeit FBI, NYPD, CIA and other fake police badges off its website.

The problem is that anybody, anywhere, can sell just about anything on Amazon, including counterfeit products that may be dangerous or deadly. Amazon receives a fee on each fake item sold.

Despite repeated complaints and counterfeit badge purchases by consumer advocate and industry watchdog, The Counterfeit Report, hundreds of fake badges remain on Amazon.

• An Amazon Leadership Team Manager dismissed the complaints, claiming the items were “replicas,” and therefore OK on Amazon. 
• Amazon’s Director of Product Integrity, Melissa Kriz, responded to the fake badge complaints confirming the items are “restricted” on Amazon. Ms. Kriz added  “Please do let us know if there are other similar products that you find and we will take swift action to remove.”
• Amazon’s Executive Staff responded on behalf of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, “We take these matters very seriously, and we'll investigate further.”

The responses are hardly demonstrative of a proactive effort by Amazon to protect consumers and remove remaining items that are available to terrorists, child predators and other criminals, and offer little reassurance to victims;

• The New York Daily News, Sherryl Connelly, reported multiple incidents of phony badge use in rapes, robberies, assaults and by a child predator. A group even formed a sham police precinct.
• In April 2017, ABC reported NYPD arrested 2 men robbing victims using fake badges. The NYPD makes about 100 arrests a year for impersonating an officer, and has a dedicated unit chasing down phony cops. 
• In January 2014, a man attempted to gain access to the secure area of Reagan National Airport using a counterfeit CIA badge, but was prevented from doing so after Transportation Security Administration officers noticed inconsistencies with the man’s statements and credentials.

The counterfeit current issue FBI, Secret Service and other law enforcement badges shown below were repeatedly reported to Amazon, and some repeatedly purchased after the reports, by The Counterfeit Report.

It is disturbing that Amazon has now become the means of those looking for fake law enforcement badges and identification to have a “one stop” shopping market for fake items.

Public trust is destroyed when companies don't align themselves with ethical behavior and diligence in protecting consumers, the public and national security.

A recent CNBC Report says it best; “In Amazon's quest to be the low-cost provider of everything on the planet, the website has morphed into the world's largest flea market — a chaotic, somewhat lawless, bazaar with unlimited inventory.”