32 Million Fake Goods Seized in 2024: How to Spot a Fake Deal

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized about 32 million items for violating intellectual property rights in fiscal year 2024, and if the goods had been genuine their retail value would have been more than $5.4 billion. CBP's own web page describes the haul as nearly 33 million counterfeit items, while its report chart shows 32.3 million. Either way, that is only what was caught at the border. It does not tell you how many fakes got through.

If a deal on a famous name looks too good, the first question is not "how much do I save?" but "who is actually selling this?"

CBP's report carries a warning: it is a workload measure for the Department of Homeland Security, not official trade statistics, and not meant for economic analysis. Read the numbers as a window into what shows up, not a precise count of the fake-goods market.

What was seized

Here are the headline figures from the CBP fiscal 2024 report and web page.

By retail value, the three biggest categories for the last three years have been jewelry, watches and handbags and wallets. Each was worth more than $1 billion in fiscal 2024 at retail prices if genuine. By number of items, the leaders were handbags and wallets (5,132,402 items, 15.8% of all seizures), pharmaceuticals (3,743,413), clothing (1,043,853) and sunglasses (771,533).

The part that matters most: health and safety

Some fakes are just disappointing. Others can hurt you. CBP's report has a list of health, safety and security commodities seized in fiscal 2024, ranked by quantity:

CBP says counterfeit goods can pose harmful risks to consumers, including illness, injury and even death. Its priority-issues page adds that counterfeits are made with substandard materials and do not last, and urges people to avoid potentially dangerous counterfeit items to protect themselves and their families.

The FDA makes a similar point about beauty products. Its guidance on cosmetics says to be cautious about flea market or online resale items, which may be counterfeit. We covered the rest of its advice in is discounted or secondhand makeup safe.

How the fakes arrive

The report says the vast majority of seizures continue to happen in express consignment and mail shipping. In fiscal 2024, 97% of IPR seizures in the cargo environment occurred in de minimis shipments, which are low-value parcels. CBP's web page says it processed over 1.3 billion de minimis shipments that year.

That tells you where fakes tend to come from: small parcels sent directly to buyers. It does not mean that every small parcel is fake, and it says nothing about any particular seller.

A buyer's checklist

CBP's pages do not give a spot-a-fake guide, so the following is my own practical advice, in the order I would use it.

1. Check the seller before the product. Who are they? Is there a name, an address and a clear return policy? A seller with none of these is a risk.
2. Question the price. A premium brand at a deep discount, with no explanation such as a clear return, open-box or clearance status, deserves suspicion.
3. Look for identifying marks. Genuine goods usually have model numbers, batch codes and consistent logos. Compare them with the maker's official site.
4. Be strictest on things you wear, eat, apply or plug in. Cosmetics, medicine, perfume, sunglasses, chargers and toys are where a fake can cause real harm.
5. Check recalls and safety marks on electrical items with our five-minute guide.
6. Inspect in person if you can. In the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, many purchases can be looked at before paying.
7. Pay in a way you can dispute. Our guide to how you are asked to pay explains why.
8. Read the reviews with care. See how to spot fake reviews.

Why this matters when you buy secondhand or surplus

Used, returned and overstock goods are a legitimate way to save, and most of it is genuine. But the same low prices that attract bargain hunters also attract fakes. The defense is not to avoid secondhand. It is to buy from sellers who explain where goods come from, show the item and tell you plainly how returns work.

For how DealsDMV handles pickup, payment and returns, read the help page. You can see what is in stock on Buy Now and the live auctions.

The bottom line

CBP caught about 32 million items in fiscal 2024, with the biggest values in jewelry, watches and handbags and the biggest risks in medicine, electronics, cosmetics and toys. Check the seller, check the price, check the marks, and be strict about anything that touches your body or plugs into the wall.

If you know someone who loves a bargain on brand names, send this before their next order.