Counterfeit Fashion-Manufacturers Now Making Counterfeit Masks

Christian Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Givenchy and Prada are among some of the most well-known names temporarily pivoting away from making (some of their) high fashion garments and revenue-boosting fragrances in order to manufacture hand sanitizers and face masks, as shortages continue to plague medical professionals and other individuals across the globe. These luxury brands are not the only ones whose factories are churning out relatively out of the ordinary products in light of the continued spread of COVID-19, though. Counterfeiters are working overtime in response to the sweeping health pandemic, as well.

In response to a spike in demand for protective masks as the COVID-19 virus continues to impact individuals on a worldwide basis, claiming tens of thousands of lives in the process, “hundreds of thousands of counterfeit medical masks are being peddled,” and such fake masks are being made “in unsterile sweatshops previously used to make phony handbags or designer jeans.” According to a lengthy report from the Independent, counterfeit-manufacturers are looking to bank on rising need for surgical and high-tech respirator masks and the large-scale shortage of them by saturating the market with black market alternatives that look a whole lot like the real thing.
From manufacturing products and even packaging that bears the counterfeit trademarks of “well-known medical supply companies” like Minnesota-based conglomerate 3M to carefully mimicking the certification stamps and documents that commonly come with these goods (such as the “CE” stamp that indicates that the mask is “approved by the European Economic Area for safety, health, and environmental protection standards”), these unauthorized products look perfectly legitimate. However, recent seizures by law enforcement agencies tell a different story: the global market is rife with counterfeit masks.

Related Article: Can Coronavirus Live On Clothes? Your Fashion Questions, Answered

The Independent’s Borzou Daragahi reports that the “fake masks may pose a threat to the wellbeing of [their wearers] because they are not made with the correct materials or in sterile environments.” Unlike their authentic counterparts, counterfeit alternatives are not being made from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved textiles used by 3M, which are precisely what enable its respirator masks to boast a “95 percent or greater filtration efficiency” against solid and liquid particles, such as the ones that transmit the COVID-19 virus.
So, while many of these batches of counterfeit masks may be coming from factories formerly used to make fake Dior handbags or imitation Gucci sneakers, the stakes are quite a bit higher when it comes to counterfeit face masks, which is why law enforcement agencies say they are focused in cracking down on the marked proliferation of such products.
In a release dated March 11, Interpol revealed that counterfeit facemasks, substandard hand sanitizers and unauthorized antiviral medications were all seized under Operation Pangea XIII, an Interpol-led effort that saw “police, customs and health regulatory authorities from 90 countries take part in collective action against the illicit online sale of various medicines and medical products.” The Lyon, France-based organization stated that it had seized “more than 34,000 counterfeit and substandard masks,” among other products, and warned that this is merely “the tip of the iceberg for this new trend in counterfeiting.”
More recently, Turkish police seized 1 million masks and arrested five people in a raid last week on a sweatshop making unauthorized medical supplies in Istanbul, a move that comes on the heels of Chinese officials disposing of more than $1 million worth of substandard masks that had been imported from Turky, which boasts a $2 billion medical supply manufacturing sector.
All the while, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been on high alert after its agents intercepted shipments at Los Angeles International Airport and at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in March containing counterfeit COVID-19 test kits, which had been shipped from the United Kingdom. Both U.S. Customs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have issued warnings that the health care products, in particular, are at an increased potential for fraudulent activity in light of the global health pandemic.
As Jay Kennedy, an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, wrote earlier this month, “Counterfeiters have long preyed upon consumer vulnerability in order to make a quick profit, and the current coronavirus crisis will likely be no different, except instead of the usual names – such as Louis Vuitton, Nike and Rolex – being among the hardest hit by counterfeiters, the primary targets will likely be 3M and other medical goods suppliers.

The sneaker collection of every woman's dreams: Meet the uber stylish 24-year-old with a running shoe closet worth more than $58,500 - but she's never shown her face

An up-and-coming Danish Instagram star owns what is arguably the coolest collection of sneakers on earth, but despite posting daily pictures of her remarkable wardrobe, she's never shown her face on social media.

Sally Javadi, an Iranian-born psychology graduate who lives in eastern Denmark, has a closet stacked from floor to ceiling with over 150 pairs of unique, colourful sneakers, collectively worth more than $58,500 (AUD).

Ms Javadi, 24, shares photos of her vibrant treasure trove on Instagram, and despite creating her account just one year ago, already boasts over 96,000 followers who are keen to keep up with her ever expanding collection.

'I've always had two sides of who I am, my sneaker obsession and my university psychology world. It's very contradictory, and that's why I haven't gone public with my face - it's sort of my brand now,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Danish psychology graduate Sally Javadi (pictured) owns what is arguably the coolest collection of sneakers on earth, posting daily photos of her remarkable wardrobe on Instagram - but never showing her face

Her closet is stacked from floor to ceiling with over 150 pairs of unique, colourful sneakers, collectively worth more than $58,500 (AUD)

Sally's passion for quirky footwear runs deep.

She recently queued outside a store for five hours to get a sneaker in a specific colour, bringing her mother and sister along as company, but usually sources edgy pieces on US-based resale sites and consignment stores.

Her most expensive are a pair of brown, white and baby pink Travis Scott x Jordan 1s, a collaboration between the Texan rap superstar and footwear giant Nike which cost almost $3,000 (AUD).

Sally's passion for quirky footwear runs deep. sourcing edgy pieces on US-based resale sites and consignment stores

Her most expensive are a pair of brown, white and baby pink Travis Scott x Jordan 1s (pictured), which cost almost $3,000 (AUD)

Her favourite shoes are a colourfully mismatched pair of Nike Jordans, created by Iranian-American designer Melody Ehsani as a political statement against female oppression.

One shoe is orange, pink and red against a white background, while the other is green, blue and turquoise.

Both are adorned with a gold watch laced into the front panel and graffiti-style script which reads: 'If you knew what you had was rare, you would never waste it.'

Her favourite shoes are these colourfully mismatched pair of Nike Jordans created by Iranian-American designer Melody Ehsani as a political statement against female oppression

Both are adorned with a gold watch laced into the front panel and graffiti-style script which reads: 'If you knew what you had was rare, you would never waste it'

Although she owns a vast selection of sought-after pieces few collectors dare to dream of, Sally doesn't discriminate against simple classics.

'I love a simple pair of Nike Air Forces - they're my ultimate go-to sneakers,' she said of the globally popular all-white style, which cost roughly $150 (AUD).

Adidas Yung-1s - a modern take on chunky '90s sneakers - and Nike P-6000s - inspired by the divisive 'Dadcore' trend- are her other fail safe shoes, both of which retail at $150 (AUD).

'A classic can be just as good as a more expensive pair. It's not about the cost,' she said. oa here

How a fake car parts scam could cost drivers thousands

Luxury items aren't the only things that are counterfeited

Counterfeit spark plugs with the potential to destroy engines are at the centre of an automotive industry sting.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says 60 per cent of spark plugs bought through dodgy online sellers have been verified as fraudulent parts designed to fool consumers.
Expert recreations of packaging and part appearances mean people may not know parts are fake until cars stop working.
A spokesman for the FCAI says spark plugs sold as genuine Honda, Mazda or Toyota items have the potential to “melt and cause extreme engine damage”.

Mazda and Honda owners have been targeted by the scam. Source: Supplied

But representatives of those popular car brands said they had no record of fake spark plugs ruining engines in recent months.
The problematic parts follow a run of fake components seized in Australia including wheels that shatter when they hit a pothole, brake pads made of asbestos and oil filters that do not protect engines from damage.
Overseas examples include brake pads made from compressed grass.

 

Counterfeit spark plugs (right) can be indistinguishable from genuine items (left). Source: Supplied

Tony Weber, chief executive for the FCAI, says motorists and technicians should be careful when sourcing automotive parts.
“The best way to avoid a fake? Make certain your parts are purchased from the authorised dealer network,” Mr Weber said.
“We have experts examining the packaging and spark plugs and even they can barely tell the difference. You won’t know it’s a fake, until it’s too late.”

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$70M of fake Nike Air Jordans seized in Newark from China

They looked like thousands of generic shoes without any logos or labels.
But that was just the start of the ruse.
Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested five individuals charged in a scheme to import more than $70 million in counterfeit Nike Air Jordans through Port Newark from China.
The sneakers were manufactured to resemble various editions of Jordans, which typically retail for $190, but without any identifying markings so they would not be flagged by customs officials, authorities said. Fake logos were allegedly added to the shoes after they came through the port, and then the footwear was sold to people throughout the U.S.

Real Air Jordans. (Nike)

The five -- Miyuki Suen, Jian Min Huang and Kin Lui Chen, all of New York, and Songhua Qu and Fangrang Qu of Hicksville, N.Y. -- are accused of importing at least 42 shipping containers between 2016 and 2018, bringing in an estimated more than 380,000 pairs of sneakers. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
It is not an uncommon scam, officials say.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection last year seized $1 billion in counterfeit goods, and inspectors say they frequently come across shoes, handbags and other consumer goods that appear generic because there are no identifying brand names affixed to them. Those logos and names are then added after the items pass through customs, they said.
In one case, a shipment of Timberland boots had an insert glued over the logo on the bottom of the boot. An inspector discovered the ruse with a flick of a knife on the heel-side of the shoe.

By Ted Sherman

tsherman@njadvancemedia.com

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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