eBay Fake Police Badges and ID Endanger the Public

Items available to terrorists, child predators and other criminals.

December 29, 2016, Los Angeles, CA – It is shocking that eBay would engage in a particularly serious threat to national security, consumer safety and public confidence by making fake FBI, ATF, and a variety of other replica federal and police badges and counterfeit identification available to terrorists, child predators and other criminals.

In addition to federal, state and local laws that regulate the sale, purchase, possession and display of fake badges, and of course common sense, at issue is eBay’s illusory claim; "You can't list replicas, fakes, counterfeits, or other illegal copies on eBay" -- but the fact is that counterfeit and replica law enforcement badges and accompanying identification are being sold on eBay.

Inexplicably, eBay also sends direct email solicitations to purchase the fake and fraudulent items, including made to order ID with the buyer's own name and photograph, despite eBay's policy of not allowing badges from federal law enforcement agencies or police agencies, government identification cards, movie props or reproductions. It appears that greed and profit prevail over policy and common sense with the e-commerce giant who makes $2 billion a year in profits.

The Counterfeit Report®, a popular counterfeit awareness and consumer advocate website, sent reports to eBay and warnings to eBay senior staff, including eBay CEO Devin Wenig and General Counsel Marie Oh Huber that were viewed over 380 times. However, after 6 months, the sellers and listings remain and eBay continues to provide a means for anyone to purchase the counterfeit items.

The fake current style badges, and the ID below were available or purchased on eBay. The identification cards received from eBay sellers were made-to-order bearing the names and photos of California Attorney General Kamala Harris and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch .

In an interview with 24/7 Wall Street, Ryan Moore, Senior Manager, Global Corporate Affairs & Communications at eBay Marketplaces, dismissed The Counterfeit Report’s ongoing exposure of eBay's counterfeit activities apparently believing that eBay should only act to protect eBay consumers if directed by law enforcement or the actual rights owner; “[The Counterfeit Report] who is neither law enforcement nor a rights owner, professes to operate a website to promote counterfeit awareness.”

Moore added, “Counterfeits are not welcome on eBay. We’re committed to combating the sale of counterfeit goods and have consistently been an Internet industry leader in working to stop the online sale of counterfeit goods. We utilize a combination of sophisticated detection tools, enforcement and strong relationships with brand owners, retailers and law enforcement agencies to combat bad activity and present our customers with a safe, trusted shopping experience.”

Mr. Moore’s PR stunt fails to recognize that The Counterfeit Report found over 2.5 million counterfeits investigating less than a dozen eBay items, reported 1,839,977 items as a trademark holder's agent for removal to eBay in 2016, and has purchased and received over 2,300 brand-name counterfeit products from eBay sellers. eBay responded by blocking The Counterfeit Report’s test purchase accounts.

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, for example;

• The use of false credentials and badges have been used to attempt restricted area access at airports, including an August 2015 incident in which a man was indicted for impersonating a federal law enforcement agent. He used a counterfeit Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) badge and credentials to enter the Naval Nuclear Training Command in South Carolina while armed with a Sig Sauer pistol.
• In another incident, a man was watching a movie at a theatre in Michigan wearing body armor and carrying a firearm. When approached by police, he presented a counterfeit Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) badge and credentials.
• In January 2014, a man attempted to gain access to the secure area of Reagan National Airport using a counterfeit CIA badge, but was prevented from doing so after Transportation Security Administration officers noticed inconsistencies with the man’s statements and credentials.

It is disturbing that eBay has become the means of those looking for fake law enforcement badges and identification to have a “one stop” shopping market for these made-to-order items. Public trust is destroyed when companies don't align themselves with ethical behavior and diligence in protecting consumers, the public and national security.

All sorts of dirty things are involved in counterfeiting; terrorism, child labor exploitation, kidnapping, money laundering and organized crime. Bruce Foucart, director of U.S. Homeland Security’s National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center stated the killers in the vicious Paris Charlie Hebdo massacre that left 12 people including two police officers dead, funded their weapons cache through the sale of counterfeit goods.

Who will be the next causality?