Authorities on the lookout for counterfeit products recommended consumers interested in purchasing Super Bowl gear « buy from legit dealers. »
Authorities with the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement organizations are teaming up to crack down on counterfeit merchandise as Americans across the country travel into Southern California for Super Bowl LVI. Eliminating counterfeits is vital because, according to authorities, profits made from sales of fake merchandise are often funneled into other criminal activities. This year’s efforts to combat illegal product sales come in the wake of a record-breaking amount of counterfeit merchandise valued at $123 million that was seized leading up to Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, Florida in February 2020. Officials are now focused on the final days leading up to Sunday’s game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. « HSI, in cooperation with Inglewood Police and our other partners, will be out in full force at hotels, swap meets, pop-up stands, and other locations where this illegal activity takes place, » Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang said in a news release.
