COUNTERFEIT THINGS THAT WE USE EVERYDAY. DEADLY COUNTERFEIT PILLS THAT CAN KILL YOU! KNOCKOFF ITEMS!

 

We are back with another video on counterfeits but this time it is not on counterfeit foods but counterfeit items that you may use or wear every day. Counterfeiters are always looking for a way to make extra bucks and they will try to counterfeit popular everyday things and luxury goods. They are so good at it; it is very difficult to know that it is actually a counterfeit. It might be your iPhone charger, kid’s toys that they play with, the Coach handbag you carry every day, or the very makeup you using on your face.

At the end of the day, it would be the consumer that will lose out paying top dollar for a brand or item that is not even the genuine one and they may never know they purchased a counterfeit.  

In this video, we will expose the top items that are prone to be counterfeited and hopefully this information will help you from buying and getting duped with a fake. All we ask is for you to share this video on social media by clicking the share button, smash the like, and subscribe. Leave your comments as it helps support our videos.

Okay, off to counterfeit alley we go! 

Number 1 – Counterfeit Iphone chargers - Phone is low on battery? Well then give it a charge. Well the counterfeit phone chargers make give you super charge that you didn’t expect and it might not be your phone that is getting the zap, but it can be you.

Let’s take the apple iPhone charger for instance; have you ever noticed that on chargers the apple website is way more expensive than some of the chargers on sale on Amazon or Wal-Mart? That is because most likely the cheaper ones are being sold by a third party seller – which has a high possibility of being counterfeit chargers. Okay, so what is the big deal? Why buy the real brand if generic ones are half priced and you can save some money.

Well, take this into consideration this study conducted by UL (Underwriters Laboratories) These knockoff chargers looked so real but the UL ultimately concluded that 11 of the 12 chargers that were purchased from the third party sellers were in fact – counterfeits. The danger that these counterfeit chargers present is that it is missing the circuitry that the stops the iPhone from overcharging which can cause it to explode.   

According to an article by CBC, a woman from China was electrocuted to death when she answered a phone that was being charged by a counterfeit charger. It is recommended to buy the chargers directly from the Iphone website itself to avoid counterfeits.

Number 2 - Beware ladies! Your face might not be safe due to counterfeit makeup. Due to the high demand of certain brands of makeup and not nearly enough supply, this is a counterfeiter’s opportunity to cash in with knockoffs. Now what if I told you that some of the counterfeit makeups contain large levels of bacteria and this one is going to gross you out so get ready (insert commercial), animal waste. In April of 2018, CNN reported the LAPD confiscated up to 700,000 dollars’ worth of knockoff makeup and cosmetic products . Some of the knockoffs were imitations of well-known makeup brands such as Mac, Urban Decay, and Kylie Cosmetics. These companies had tipped of the LAPD when they received complaints from customers of bumps, rashes, and other reactions after using these products.

A case of this, is when a girl in Ireland unknowing used fake lipstick which caused her lips and face to be inflamed and swell, with blisters forming in her mouth.

A lot of these counterfeit makeup tested positive for feces, dangerous amounts of lead, and other harmful bacteria. According to NBC news, these fake cosmetics can also include arsenic, cyanide, mercury, and rat secretions. They recommend the Best ways to avoid buying fakes is to look for missing certification labels and buy directly from the brand’s website.

Natural beauty might be a bit safer at this point compared to knockoff makeup.

Number 3 – Counterfeit Toys – Here is a fact for you. In 2020, up to 1.5 billion dollars’ worth of knockoff toys were imported to the USA according to data collected by the Buy Safe America coalition. Chances are the numbers will only get higher due to the global supply chain shortages from real toy brands.

Well what is the big deal with Knockoff toys, I mean I bet they are cheaper? But besides the appearance and cheaper quality, it can potentially pose a danger for your child to play with these fake toys. According to reporting done by Jeff Rossen, a Chief National Consumer Correspondent -  counterfeit toys is unlikely have underwent the 100 plus tests that are required in order to be sold at brick and mortar shops.

Some of these checks include testing the toys to ensure that small parts are not a choking hazard or electrical hazard, sharp edges, and if it contains lead or any harmful chemicals that are dangerous to children. Here are some tips by Jeff Rosen on how to spot counterfeit toys.

We covered toys covered in lead more extensively in this video, so make sure to check it out. 

Number 4 – Fake Designer handbags – That is a nice hand bag….hmm but on second thought is that the real thing? Women are willing to pay top dollar for these luxurious handbags that carry a hefty price tag and counterfeiters are aware of this and ready to create some fakes to cash in.

Some of the most well-known luxury handbag brands such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes are often targeted by counterfeiters who make fake handbags that look nearly identical to the genuine ones with the same exact style and logos. Many of these counterfeit handbags are easily purchased  from bootleggers that set up shop in my places like the infamous Canal street in New York City’s Chinatown where it has developed quite a reputation that people can go there to purchase a counterfeit branded handbag of their choice from the street vendors.

In December of 2021, US custom agents seized a container in Los Angeles airport that held up to 30 million dollars’ worth of counterfeit designer handbags and other accessories ripping off brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. This fake swag was meant to hit the streets right during the holiday season to profit on the holiday season shopping frenzy. Who know how much consumers would have been duped if the counterfeits did hit the market. These days a lot of these counterfeit handbags are being sold online so the best way to avoid buying a fake is to once again buy directly from the brand website.

Let us know in the comments if you would like to see a video on the best ways to spot fake designer hand bag.

Number 5 – The last but certainly not the least in terms of danger you should be happy you stuck around to this point because this last one is shocking and scary. Counterfeit prescription medicine, compared to the other counterfeits we covered on this list, this one can be a matter of life or death literally.

In 2021, The Drug enforcement agency aka the DEA seized up to 9.5 million fake subscription pills that were laced with fentanyl and sometimes metaphanimie. The Chief of the DEA explains that the number is only increasing with the percentage of the pills being deadly being at an all-time high (play video).

As of Sept 2021 according to the DEA website, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to a 100 times stronger than morphine. This is some serious heavy duty drug and that is why the DEA has sounded the alarm on this. According to a public safety alert issued on their website, most of these dangerous counterfeit pills are made to imitate genuine prescription pills such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, jk which are mostly used as painkillers. A lot of these illegal counterfeit pills do not have safe or proper regulations on how much fentanyl is being used which can lead to fatal overdoses.

A lot of these fake pills are purchased on various social media platforms and other ecommerce websites or illegal online pharmacies. This makes it even harder to control as anyone with a smartphone or internet access can make a purchase.

According to the CDC, there were 93,000 deaths by drug overdose in 2020. Fentanyl the main ingredient in the counterfeit pills are the primary factor in the ever increasing drug related deaths. (show video of people). This is information can be assessed from the DEA website itself as the link will be in the description box.

The only safe pills are the ones that prescribed directly from your doctor. 

We are planning to as part 2 to this topic but first we want to see how many of our viewers are interested in it. Let us know in the comment box if you would like to see a part 2 video which will cover other counterfeits such as fake branded sneakers and yeti ramblers that contain high levels of lead. If the requests and views on this video are high enough we will get right to work with a part 2 so make sure to share this video to as much people as you can. Do the usual like and subscribe and until then, stay informed and Genius tomato out!