The Counterfeit Report^® Featured on NBC Counterfeit Special

The number of counterfeit products sold online is skyrocketing.

February 3, 2015, Los Angeles, CA – Looking for a bargain online? Beware: many products that appear to be authentic may be counterfeit. The e-Commerce giants, including Alibaba, eBay and Amazon, make it easy for the world’s largest criminal enterprise to peddle an estimated $1.7 trillion in counterfeit goods expected to be produced in 2015. Over 90% of counterfeit goods are produced in China and often end up sold on e-commerce and social media sites to unsuspecting consumers.   

The Counterfeit Report^® joined NBC TV's I-Team Randy Mac Friday for look into the seedy world of dishonest sellers and counterfeit products. But it's not just about designer bags: the number of deceptive counterfeit products sold online is skyrocketing.

Craig Crosby publishes "The Counterfeit Report," a website dedicated to educating consumers about counterfeits. Crosby told NBC4 that counterfeit sales will reach $1.7 trillion in 2015, and that this criminal enterprise accounts for 10 percent of all goods worldwide. Most disturbing is that counterfeits aren't only aren't sold through rogue cyber retailers; "We purchase from Amazon, we purchase from eBay," said Crosby. "These are the websites consumers should have confidence in."

For more information on how to spot counterfeit goods including office products, sports equipment, pet food, alcohol, tobacco, electronics and more, visit The Counterfeit Report.