Super Bowl Fans May Be Supporting Criminals

Counterfeit NFL merchandise scams consumers, supports criminals.

February 1, 2018, Los Angeles, CA – The Super Bowl brings out a flood of counterfeit merchandise and fraudulent sellers to separate consumers and their cash. Counterfeit merchandise vendors pop-up online and around venues to exploit fans, offering popular counterfeit NFL merchandise and Super Bowl tickets, which could fetch $2,000-4000.

Consumers should be particularly weary of e-commerce websites including Amazon, Craig's List, eBay and Alibaba, and social media websites, which have a reputation of offering an inexhaustible supply of counterfeit goods.

Philadelphia Eagles home state Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, warns “Big sporting events like the Super Bowl attract scam artists," while Federal law enforcement officials offer consumer tips to avoid being ripped-off by fake merchandise;

• Watch the websites you visit. Don’t click on banner ads or pop-ups on a legitimate website (like StubHub or Ticketmaster) that may take you to a different website.
• Be cautious of using search engines to find potential ticket sellers. Less reputable websites offering ticket sales will ramp up advertising before events like the Super Bowl, increasing their website traffic. Stick to websites you are familiar with, and read the URL of the website you visit. Scam artists often make minor changes to an actual website’s URL to bring a false sense of legitimacy to the website – a practice known as spoofing. Look for spelling or grammatical mistakes – a tip-off to fake websites.
• Avoid buying tickets from someone you have not met. Don’t buy tickets from a seller you don’t know. Always try to conduct any ticket purchase in a safe, well-lit area. 
• Be wary of sellers asking for payment in gift cards, money orders or money transfers, especially over the phone. Consumers should use their credit cards when possible to protect themselves from scammers and fraud.

Matthew Bourke, a spokesperson for the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a federal agency that's part of the Department of Homeland Security, reported that on average, authorities seize fake sports merchandise worth about $20 to $30 million every year, about 250,000 fake items. Counterfeit sales are used to fund organized crime, terrorists and other criminals.

Fake jersey seized by U.S. Customs.

Image: U.S. Customs

To view other counterfeit sports memorabilia click here.