Be Safe Buy Real: A Global Consumer Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign
December 20, 2022

Facebook Live Panel: Avoiding Counterfeits This Holiday Season


Remote video URL

 

Did you know in 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized nearly 25 million counterfeit products worth $3 billion, had they been genuine? CBP alerts consumers about the risks of purchasing counterfeit products, especially during the holiday season.

In the anticipation of the holiday season, the UL Standards & Engagement’s Be Safe Buy Real hosted its first Facebook Live panel, “Smart Holiday Shopping: How to Avoid Counterfeits This Season,” on Nov. 2, 2022. The panel convened industry experts to discuss current counterfeiting trends and share their advice for safe holiday shopping. Watch the recording above. 

The discussion topics were designed to introduce counterfeit problems and empower individuals with tips on how to protect themselves and their families from dangerous counterfeit products and scams while shopping for the holiday season.

“Make sure that you’re buying a product directly from the brand itself or an authorized seller of that product to make sure it’s genuine!” said Zach Toczyński from Levis Strauss & Co. “Just because it’s a good deal, doesn’t mean it’s good to buy."

Monica Mena, director of Educational Programs and Anti-Counterfeiting Initiatives at UL Standards & Engagement, moderated the live-stream event with organizations that represent three fields: association, eCommerce, and apparel. The panelists included Christina Mitropoulos, director of External Relations and Anticounterfeiting at International Trade Association (INTA); Jay Kennedy, global lead of Customer Trust Relations at Amazon; and Zach Toczyński, senior director of Global Brand Protection at Levi Strauss & Co.

Read more tips from our panelists: