Officers on Sept. 6 intercepted a shipment of 700 fake Cartier Love bracelets, suspected to be counterfeit based on their origin and appearance.
“The bracelets lacked fine details, were constructed from cheap material and contained fake inlayed diamonds. This shipment originated in Hong Kong en route to a business in Illinois,” the release stated.
Had these high-end bracelets been authentic, they would have been worth $8.82 million.
On the same night, officers inspecting freight from China discovered two more shipments of counterfeit jewelry, the release stated.
One contained 60 Cartier bracelets and rings along with other brand name jewelry, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari headed to a private residence in Colorado. The second contained four Cartier Love bracelets headed to a residence in New Jersey. The two shipments combined were worth $1.96 million, had the jewelry been genuine, the CBP said.
“While online shopping has increased, CBP stays vigilant by stopping illegal shipments like these from damaging our economy,” said Director LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke of Field Operations-Chicago Field Office.
Consumers can take these steps to protect themselves and their families from counterfeit goods:
- Purchase goods directly from the trademark holder or from authorized retailers.
- When shopping online, read seller reviews and check for a working U.S. phone number and address that can be used to contact the seller.
- Review CBP’s E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers.
- Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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