In the past, you could walk the streets of New York and see several people peddling designer handbags on the street. While it was still illegal to sell counterfeit bags, the laws weren’t enforced. Now that counterfeiting has become an industry estimated to be worth about $1 billion a year, police are trying to crack down on those involved.
NYPD is hoping new laws that would jail a person for up to a year for buying fake handbags will help deter people from buying them. New York City has always been a hot spot for fake goods. Tourists are coming to enjoy the big city lifestyle and want to have the same designer bags as the celebrities for less.
Counterfeit luxury handbags were being sold on street corners in the past, but now people are adapting to avoid being caught. Now that police are cracking down, more street merchants are selling handbags that aren’t illegal knockoffs. However, many times this is a front to get you in. Now the sellers are using digital photos like a menu of what knock-off bags they have to offer. Some are even using their phones to show off what bags they have to offer. Contacts are saved with designer names and when you click on them a picture comes up. While counterfeiters are hoping their sneakier ways will help keep them from being caught, law enforcement is on their tail.
The NYPD is hoping that by cutting off the supply and increasing the penalties for buying, that the demand will go down. The one year jail sentence also comes with a hefty $1,000 fine, so it shouldn’t take long for people to be more weary of getting fake luxury items for less.
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