Recent Police Impersonators Highlight Dangers Of eBay & Amazon Fake Badges & ID
Websites turn a blind eye to dangerous counterfeits.
March 12, 2018, Los Angeles, CA – It's a very real and frightening scenario for the public and the police -- police impersonators. And, it's easy -- Amazon, eBay and other e-commerce sites sell fake FBI and police badges, ID's, patches and gear.
The Counterfeit Report found over 6,700 fake law enforcement badges and ID's on eBay and Amazon and sent hundreds of email reports, press releases and warnings to eBay and Amazon staffers, including eBay CEO, Devin Wenig, eBay General Counsel, Marie Oh Huber, eBay Global Intellectual Property Brand Manager, Julien Dudouit, and Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos. The press releases were viewed over 400 times.
Despite the repeated written notifications over a 2-year period, eBay and Amazon continue to be the “one stop” shopping market for anyone around the world to buy fake law enforcement badges and ID. See the fake badges listed on eBay and Amazon here.
18,000 U.S. federal, state and local law enforcement agencies employ 1.1 million men and women who rely on easily recognizable identification to secure public trust and reassure confidence. The consequences or misuse of counterfeits is indisputable. Still, counterfeit law enforcement badges and identification cards are all too easy to find on eBay and Amazon. eBay even goes to the alarming extreme of sending email solicitations to purchase counterfeit police items.
The Counterfeit Report received the fake made-to-order FBI & LAPD ID cards below from eBay sellers bearing the names and photos of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Badges were also purchased on eBay to accompany the phony identification and each was sent the fake items. Neither chose to act. The items are just as easily available to terrorists, child predators and other criminals, with the buyers chosen identity and photo.
Are you talking to the real police, how would you know? The counterfeit current issue FBI, LAPD, Secret Service, and other law enforcement badges and ID shown below are from eBay and Amazon listings. The Counterfeit Report purchased dozens, many from the same sellers;
Public trust is destroyed when companies don't align themselves with ethical behavior and diligence, and put profit before protecting the public, children and national security. Despite the law, website policies, ethics and even common sense, the items remain.
Who will cleanup Amazon and eBay's cesspool of counterfeits?
*Editor's Note:
eBay and Amazon have strict policies claiming that counterfeits, fakes and replicas are prohibited on their websites. The truth is that counterfeits and replicas can be, and are, easily listed and sold. The Counterfeit Report, authorized by the right holders, has removed over 2 million counterfeit products from eBay and Amazon.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office ("GAO") issued a report last week after their undercover investigation1 of e-commerce counterfeit goods sales, including Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY). The GAO report concluded in part that "counterfeit goods harm the U.S. economy and can pose a threat to consumers."
(1) Report to the Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
Full Report: Agencies Can Improve Efforts to Address Risks Posed by Changing Counterfeits Market
GAO-18-216: Published: Jan 30, 2018. Publicly Released: Feb 27, 2018.
Summary: https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-216
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