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NC investigators seize counterfeit clothes, gaming consoles from area stores

State authorities have seized more than $1 million in knockoff goods from stores across central North Carolina in recent weeks.
Posted 2019-12-23T22:59:21+00:00 - Updated 2019-12-24T03:07:25+00:00
State authorities seized knockoff designer clothing and accessories from Fayetteville area stores in December 2019. (Photo courtesy of North Carolina Secretary of State's Office)

State authorities have seized more than $1 million in knockoff goods from stores across central North Carolina in recent weeks.

Agents with the state Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force led a Saturday sweep of Fayetteville area shopping centers and flea markets, seizing fake designer apparel and accessories with an estimated retail value of $805,000.

The estimated value is the amount the genuine trademarked items would sell for, authorities said.

The knockoffs included counterfeit UGG boots, North Face jackets and Louis Vuitton handbags.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Dunn police officers assisted in the sweep, along with private investigators representing brand holders.

State authorities seized hundreds of bogus Nintendo gamng systems from Triangle stores in December 2019. (Photo courtesy of North Carolina Secretary of State's Office)
State authorities seized hundreds of bogus Nintendo gamng systems from Triangle stores in December 2019. (Photo courtesy of North Carolina Secretary of State's Office)

Earlier this month, the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force seized hundreds of counterfeit video gaming consoles, including more than 340 at one Triangle shopping center. Officials wouldn't provide details, saying the investigation is ongoing.

The consoles were supposed to replicate the Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition System, which includes 30 pre-installed “classic” games like Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. The counterfeit systems claimed to be loaded with 620 games, or even more than 800 games, authorities said, noting that Nintendo doesn't make any such consoles.

The estimated retail value of the seized gaming systems exceeds $800,000, authorities said.

North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, whose office enforces trademark laws in the state and who created the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force in 2004, urged shoppers to take time to research what they are buying during the busy holiday season. If it’s “too good to be true," she said, it probably is.

"I know everyone wants to find a bargain, but when you buy counterfeits, not only are you getting poor quality products, you could also be endangering your health," Marshall said in a statement. "We’ve seen counterfeit designer perfume and cologne with hazardous chemicals, as well as electrical products that could present a deadly fire hazard in your house. The trade in counterfeits also harms legitimate manufacturers and merchants and helps fund organized crime."

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