During the Christmas season, Customs and Border Protection operations (CBP) From the United States to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have reiterated today, Tuesday, their consumer alert about counterfeit and pirated products purchased online.
“Branded products that are incredibly cheap online may not be a bargain“, He said Leida Colom, Deputy Director of Field Operations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands see written communication.
“If the price of the product seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t; and that can cause real problems for you, your family and legitimate businesses,” he added.
He explained that in the midst of the pandemic, a recent comparison of the fiscal year reveals that CBP officials and import specialists have witnessed statistically significant increases in product confiscations (IPR).
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The San Juan Field Operations Office, which is responsible for multiple ports of entry in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, experienced a 175 percent growth in the number of IPR seizures in the U.S. fiscal year 2021 to date compared to the same period in fiscal year 2020.
There are several steps consumers can take to protect themselves when shopping online. It is recommended to buy products only from reputable retailers and be careful with external suppliers. Check the reviews and comments made by the seller and check that there is a phone number and address that works for the merchant, in case you have questions about the legitimacy of a product.
“Bad actors continue to exploit the dramatic growth of e-commerce to sell counterfeit and other illicit products through online platforms, particularly during the Christmas season when shoppers are looking for deals,” said Mayra Claudi, Port Deputy Director of Area of San Juan. “If the price of the product seems too good to be true, it probably is, and that can cause real problems for you, your family and legitimate business.”
Nationwide, for fiscal year 2020, CBP confiscated 26,503 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. The total estimated value of the confiscated property, if genuine, was nearly $ 1.3 million.
The CBP Field Operations Office in St. John’s confiscated 2,443 shipments containing goods that violated manufacturer-suggested retail property intellectual property rights (MSRP) of MSRP’s estimated $ 46 million.
To address these violations, the St. John’s Trade Law Enforcement Team was created in October 2016. Since its inception, the team has confiscated a total of 1,064,098 items for a value estimated at $ 163,477,809. The main items confiscated in fiscal year 2020 are in order:
- Purses / wallets
- jewelry
- footwear
- Electronics
- Alcoholic drinks
- watches
- clothes
- Other counterfeit products
- cigarettes
- prescription drugs
CBP has also established an educational initiative to make consumers aware of the consequences and dangers associated with buying counterfeit and pirated products online or in stores. More information about this initiative is available at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers
If you have information about suspicions of fraud or illegal commercial activity, report the commercial infringement to the i-Allegations Online Trade Violation Portal. Reporting System or call 1-800-BE-ALERT. Intellectual property rights violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by phone at 1-866-IPR- 2060.
For more information you can also visit the following link https://www.stopfakes.gov/.