Law enforcement agents seized 36,000 counterfeit AirPods in Ohio. They're valued at about $7.16 million.
It happened with three separate shipments, each containing about 12,000 fake AirPods. The Kentucky-bound cases were shipped from China, and an import specialist confirmed that the items violated trademark and copyright codes, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.
The CBP release also emphasized that consumers can avoid purchasing fake products by checking to see whether the company has published lists of authorized retailers online, and unauthorized vendors “could easily mean the product is fake.” Officials also recommend reading labels and checking serial numbers, as well as “using common sense” when a product appears to be too cheap.
“Counterfeit products can be deceiving at first glance,” Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie said in the release. “They’re often cheaper and can appear very similar to the real thing. However, inferior products can end up costing consumers more than if they purchased the genuine item because of the high likelihood of substandard materials and malfunctioning parts. Supporting legitimate businesses is the smart choice, and buying from trusted companies protects against potential human rights violations and damage to our economy.”
Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection