Experts warn of counterfeit Chiefs gear ahead of big game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WIBW) - Before you grab up new gear for the big game, take a close look! Homeland Security Investigators in Kansas City, warn some people are selling counterfeit merchandise.

Many Chiefs fans are gearing up for the big game, but experts say to pay extra attention to what you’re buying.

Popup stands like the one authorities seized in 2020 may not have the real deal.

“The best way to purchase authentic gear is to actually go to a brick-and-mortar retail store or go to reputable websites that the NFL has. If you go to third-party websites, you really don’t know if it’s going to be authentic or counterfeit. At the same time you risk credit card fraud because when you input your information, they capture all that,” said Acting Special Agent, of Homeland Security Investigations, Taekuk Cho.

Experts say the quality is one way to spot a counterfeit item.

“Threading, it’s very even. It’s professionally done. If you look at the actual NFL mark, it’s rubber, whereas this is plastic. If you look at the side, here’s venting because this is Nike dry-fit, whereas this does not have that. Also, if you look at the actual tags, you have the NFL hologram whereas counterfeits do not. These are actually expensive to produce, so they will forgo these holograms,” Cho said.

Experts say anything labeled “made in china” is likely fake because official NFL gear is not made in China.

Homeland Security says counterfeit goods cost the economy 5 trillion dollars globally, 600 billion in the US, which means 8 billion in lost tax revenue.

Although counterfeit may be cheaper, experts say you won’t regret getting the real deal.

“This is real and this will last,” said Cho.

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