The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has warned consumers that some deals online may be too good to be true as shoppers search for bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In a statement released on November 21, the CBP said that the number of unscrupulous manufacturers and sellers peddling fraudulent products has increased over the past decade as the volume of online shopping has risen. According to Statista, online sales revenue on Black Friday has risen from $534 million in 2008 to $2.36 billion in 2017. Figure of 2017 represented a 19.7% increase from that of 2016. Highlighting that pushing fake products online is big business, the CBP said that it seized 4,820 counterfeit iPhone parts at the Port of San Diego which would have been worth $222,113 had they been genuine. The CBP went on to discuss some of the problems with fake products, such as electronics that can overheat due to improper manufacturing processes, bicycle helmets that can break upon impact, and cosmetics that can lead to skin reactions.

Source: WIPR