Amazon Selling Counterfeit Police Badges Despite Complaints

Amazon Ignores Counterfeit Police Badge Warnings

May 4, 2020, Los Angeles, CA – What website can you easily buy a counterfeit law enforcement badge? It’s Amazon.

Amazon claims to have an effective anti-counterfeit policy, but there are plenty of counterfeit law enforcement badges on its websites. Despite repeated complaints and corroborating counterfeit badge purchases by The Counterfeit Report, fake badges and ID on Amazon are readily available to terrorists, child predators, and other criminals.

Even worse, the counterfeit badge purchaser can also choose an identity and receive a photo ID. In fact, Brandon Kiel, who was an aide to United States Senator Kamala Harris was arrested in 2015 for impersonating a police officer.

The fraud continues and complaints to Amazon, federal, and state elected officials. Not only does Amazon allow counterfeit badge sales to continue, it defends not removing them from its sites. In response to past complaints and purchases;

• An Amazon Leadership Team Manager dismissed the complaints, claiming the items were “replicas,” and therefore OK on Amazon. 
• Amazon’s Executive Staff responded on behalf of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, “We take these matters very seriously, and we'll investigate further.”

Counterfeit Current Badge Issue

Are you talking to the real police or FBI, how would you know?  FBI, Secret Service, NYPD, US Marshal, and other law enforcement badges and ID shown below are from Amazon listings. The Counterfeit Report purchased dozens, many from the same sellers.

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 Amazon.

Examples Of How The Counterfeits Are Used

• A North Carolina woman was sentenced to three years in prison for impersonating an FBI agent in February 2019 on an online dating site and on a date, using a fake FBI badge and a stolen gun.
• June 22, 2018, Ventura, CA - Farad Gharagozlou Bell pleaded guilty to impersonating a federal officer, wearing a fake ICE badge, during a violent encounter with a teenager. Bell ordered the teen from his car, searched him, and took the teen's cell phone.
• March 6, 2018 - Greg Baghoomian walked into the Los Angeles County Jail Inmate Reception Center and flashed FBI credentials to on-duty deputies. He fled when challenged, but was captured with a large fixed blade knife, two Taser devices, handcuffs, gloves, and the false FBI credentials shown below.
  
  
  Shown: Credentials used to enter the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Main Jail. || Current Amazon.com FBI badge listing
• March 6, 2018, Victorville, CA - An armed, sheriff uniformed 14-year-old boy, driving an emergency light equipped SUV was arrested and accused of posing as a sheriff's deputy to conduct traffic enforcement stops and confront residents in Victorville, CA.
• March 6, 2018 - NYPD wants the public's help in finding fake cops. A man wearing a gold police shield tied his victim with zip-ties and robbed him. In another incident, two men robbed a man at gunpoint after stating “Police" and pulling out a shield and a pistol.
• The New York Daily News, Sherryl Connelly, reported multiple incidents of phony badge use in rapes, robberies, assaults, and by a child predator. A group even formed a sham police precinct.
• In April 2017, ABC reported NYPD arrested 2 men robbing victims using fake badges. The NYPD makes about 100 arrests a year for impersonating an officer, and has a dedicated unit chasing down phony cops. 
• 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. The CIA does not issue badges, and Federal law prohibits the unauthorized use of the words "Central Intelligence Agency," the initials "CIA," and the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Public trust is destroyed when companies don't align themselves with ethical behavior and diligence in protecting consumers, the public, and national security.

A CNBC report says it best, "In Amazon's quest to be the low-cost provider of everything on the planet, the website has morphed into the world's largest flea market — a chaotic, somewhat lawless, bazaar with unlimited inventory."