The U.S. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and Europol arrested 12 suspected fraudulent sellers this year and seized almost $3 million in counterfeit goods.
IPR Center and Europol have also shut down more than 490,475 websites selling counterfeit goods and other copyright-protected material during last year, a press release from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Dec. 1 said.
"Industry partners participating in the operation were also responsible for shutting down approximately 848,000 e-commerce links featured on social media platforms and third-party marketplaces," the release said. "The most popular counterfeit products seized this year were personal protection equipment, apparel, medical products, artwork and automotive parts and accessories."
The success of operation ‘In Our Sites’ was made possible through the combined efforts of 30 countries, anti-counterfeiting associations and industry partners, the release said.
“This is the twelfth year the IPR Center has partnered with Europol to police the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods online,” Allen said in the release. “Although these criminals are becoming savvier with their tactics and techniques, law enforcement agencies around the world continue to remain two steps ahead by getting more countries and private sector partners to participate in making online shopping safer for consumers.”
To aid shoppers during the holiday season, IPR Center launched a toolkit to help avoid buying substandard or hazardous counterfeit toys, electronics, cosmetics and other products, ICE said. The toolkit, available at ICE.gov, includes ways to protect your personal information, dos and don’ts for shopping online and tips on how to identify fake merchandise.
“For most, the holidays represent a season of good will and giving, but for criminals, it’s the season to lure in unsuspecting holiday shoppers,” Matt Allen, director of the IPR Center said in a Nov. 23 press release. “One of the key principles of crime prevention is education, and this holiday guide ensures consumers are equipped with advice from experts on how to protect their personal financial data and avoid buying gifts that can be harmful to their loved ones.”
