LOUISVILLE, Ky. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents in Louisville, Kentucky, recently seized fake championship jewelry, including Milwaukee Bucks Championship rings.
According to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal, more than 230 fake Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA championship rings were seized.
Agents detained a shipment from China on March 3 containing the jewelry. The Milwaukee Business Journalreports a specialist determined the merchandise was counterfeit and violated trademark and licensing rules.
If the items were real, they would have had a total value of $345,000.
The shipment was on its way to Wesley Chapel, Florida.
This certainty wasn't the first time counterfeit Milwaukee Bucks championship rings were seized.
Fifty-six shipments of the fake rings were confiscated from October 2021 to December 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Had they been sold at retail price, the shipments would have been worth $982,263. CBP says the rings originated from China.
CPB recommends consumers take the following steps to protect themselves from counterfeit goods:
- Purchase goods directly from the trademark holder or from authorized retailers.
- When shopping online, read seller reviews and check for a working U.S. phone number and address that can be used to contact the seller.
- Review CBP’s E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers.
- Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is.
