Counterfeit Gifts Could Be Under The Tree

A Private Investigators is trying to stop a surge of counterfeit items, CrimeTracker 10’s Mike Kallmeyer reported Thursday.

Bruce Kingsland, a licensed counterfeit investigator, said that hundreds of counterfeit items could be under Christmas trees this holiday season, including purses, shoes and toys.

Kingsland said that the only way to stop counterfeit manufacturing is to decrease the demand for the items.

“Don't buy counterfeits,” Kingsland said. ‘It's really the only solution. It's just like drugs. As long as the demand is there, people are going to manufacture it.”

Kingsland said that there are a number of ways to tell if an item is a counterfeit, such as off-center labels, items sold in non-traditional stores and prices that look too good to be true.

“You look for stitching,” Kingsland said. “Are there threads hanging off the back? This is genuine imitation leather. Smell the product. A lot of time these things – they stink.”

According to Kingsland, more than $8 million in counterfeit goods were seized during an east side raid in October.

Counterfeit products are an $80 billion problem worldwide, Kallmeyer reported.

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