Deepak Gupta

Shopping and marketplace · Also called fake designer goods, knock-off products, counterfeit electronics, fake brand shop

Counterfeit goods

A counterfeit goods scam sells fake versions of brand-name products, such as clothing, electronics, cosmetics, or medicines, as if they were genuine. The items are usually offered at big discounts on websites, marketplaces, or social media, and can be poor quality or unsafe, while your card details may also be misused.

How it works

Sellers advertise well-known brands at prices well below the usual retail price, often on social media or new websites.
Product photos are copied from the brand, and reviews may be fake.
The buyer pays and receives a fake item, or nothing at all.
Fake electronics, cosmetics, or medicines can be dangerous, and the seller has the buyer's payment details.

Red flags

A brand-name item is offered at a price that seems too good to be true.
The website has spelling mistakes, no refund policy, or no way to contact the seller.
The seller is a new or unknown third party with no reviews you can check elsewhere.
The item arrives with unusual packaging, missing safety seals, or spelling errors on the label.

If you are targeted

Stop contact and do not send more money, and stop using the item if it may be unsafe.
If you paid by card, dispute the charge with your card issuer.
Report the seller to the marketplace or platform, and to the brand if it runs a counterfeit reporting page.
Report it. Our Report a scam page lists where to report in your country, such as ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.
In the US, suspected counterfeits can also be reported to the National IPR Center.

Where to report, by country

Prevention

For individuals

Buy from the brand or a reputable retailer, and be wary of third-party sellers you cannot check.
Research the product and seller, and avoid sites with typos or no refund policy or contact method.
Inspect packaging and the product when it arrives, and pay with a card you can dispute.

For organisations

Brands can monitor marketplaces and social media for counterfeit listings and request their removal.
Marketplaces can verify sellers of high-risk items such as electronics, cosmetics, and medicines.

By the numbers

Figures are for the reporting category this scam falls under, not this scam alone.

Non-payment and non-delivery losses reported to the FBI IC3 in 2025

$503.4M

US, 2025, FBI IC3

Real cases

No documented case in the atlas yet. New cases are added as they are sourced.

Delivered through: Social media ads and posts, Malvertising and SEO poisoning

How official datasets classify it

FBI IC3: Non-Payment/Non-Delivery
FTC: Online Shopping
Scamwatch: Buying and selling scams

Questions

How do I know if something I bought online is counterfeit?: US Customs and Border Protection advises checking for missing safety seals, unusual packaging, and typos, and warns that a deal that seems too good to be true is probably fake.
Are counterfeit goods dangerous?: They can be. CBP warns that counterfeits pose serious health and safety risks, including toxic materials in fake medicines, perfumes, and cosmetics.