HOUSTON — The NCAA Men’s Final Four is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Houston. Criminals know it, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigators are calling on fans to be on guard for fake merchandise.
Ball caps, t-shirts, and drinkware are some of the popular items that drive fans to shop after a big win. But not everything for sale is legitimate.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations Houston Bruce Swartley said big events such as the NCAA Final Four attract more than just spectators.
“It’s definitely a forum for counterfeiters,” Swartley said.
From February 2022 to February 2023, HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seized approximately 180,000 counterfeit sports-related items across the country with an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $22.7 million, resulting in 75 arrests, 16 indictments, and 11 convictions. Swartley said it is a problem that has only gotten worse.
“Because of the rapidity of getting counterfeit goods into the United States, now with transportation systems, it does become easier and larger,” Swartley said.
He said the items are harder to spot, too, especially for online shoppers.
How to spot fake Final Four gear
HSI recommends that the public take the following steps to protect themselves from counterfeiters:
- Always purchase tickets through an authorized ticket broker.
- Shop only at authorized retail locations, rather than street vendors, flea markets.
- Avoid purchasing apparel with poor stitching, ripped tags, irregular markings, or misspellings.
- Keep an eye out for items that are made of inferior quality of materials or that have no official sewn-in or screen-printed labels identifying the licensee.
“The most proactive way to make sure you're not getting counterfeit is to look for big box stores. Look for places that you trust. Do your homework, as far as reviewing the reviews of the product, because you will see photos online. Sometimes the photos online are legitimate, but the product that they send you is not,” Swartley said.
While consumers who purchase counterfeit items are not typically charged with a crime, Swartley said unauthorized merchandise comes at a cost.
“I'd say that they're harming the economy of businesses in the United States who have taken the time, money, and effort to bring our legitimate product to the market. And those things have economic ramifications for the country and for jobs," he said.
Swartley warns the funds collected from those items could support criminal activity.
“Criminal organizations look at this as just another method to make money. So, one organization that does this may also be involved in drugs or other kinds of trafficking. They could be involved in many different schemes or frauds. Many criminals just look at this as a way to make money. That money could be laundered in other things that are both negative for our local people here in Houston and the nation,” Swartley said.
HSI has teamed up with the Houston Police Department to look for and arrest people selling unauthorized merchandise during Final Four. Those convicted could face up to ten years in prison among other penalties.