Warning signs of counterfeit NFL and sports merchandise

Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty

Ahead of the last Super Bowl, the U.S. government seized more than $28 million worth of counterfeit sports merchandise. And that was just a fraction of the amount of copycat merchandise flooding the country.

So, as you’re getting ready to cheer on your favorite NFL or college football team, how can you avoid getting duped by cheap counterfeit merchandise?

There are some warning signs to watch for, as we learned talking to a sporting goods store owner and a sports memorabilia expert.

Easy to fall for fakes

The only certain thing during a football season is that fans everywhere are willing to spend big bucks for team merch.

“You want the authentic stuff,” one woman told us. “Everybody always want the real thing.”

But it’s easy to fall for fakes, thanks to low prices on social media ads.

Store owner Greg Koch of Koch Sporting Goods says he sees cheap counterfeits all over the web.

“Look at this for $39.90,” he said, scrolling through one website.

It was a Travis Kelsey jersey that normally would sell for $125 to $150 at legitimate sites.

“This is not a licensed jersey,” he said. “This is a fake.”

Koch says don’t assume that just because it has NFL tags and logos it’s the real thing.

“You’ll see a Nike hang tag on a fake,” he said. “You’ll see the NFL Players Association hang tag.”

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