With the holidays coming up, people are thinking about buying gifts for family and friends. If money is tight and they cannot afford to buy luxury goods, some people decide to buy knockoffs that look like higher-priced goods. Many people think this is innocent and harmless, but buying counterfeit goods can actually harm people in several ways.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 500 million phony handbags, belts, and wallets worth $1 billion on the street were confiscated in 2012. Last year, $1.2 billion worth of counterfeit accessories were seized. At the United States’ ports of entry, there were over 23,000 seizures.
While it may seem like a knockoff handbag or accessory is a bargain, there are several reasons why you should not buy them:
Unlike legitimate businesses, people who produce and sell counterfeit goods do not pay taxes. This means there is less revenue to fund schools, hospitals, parks, and other public services.
Knockoff goods are often produced in sweatshops run by organized crime groups. The profits can be used to support terrorists, drug smugglers, and sex traffickers.
Counterfeit goods are not inspected or regulated by the government. This means they could be of poor quality or made with materials and methods that could be harmful to the people who make them or to consumers.
Buying a phony accessory means that the people or company who produced the original design do not benefit financially. The profits those people should receive are instead transferred to the producers of the knockoff goods.
People who produce legitimate products are responsible for new designs and innovation. Fake goods stifle innovation and progress.
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