Millions in counterfeit goods flood Chicago ahead of holiday season

CHICAGO - With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, we're getting a look at some of the millions of dollars worth of counterfeit merchandise flooding into Chicago.

So how can you tell the real deal from phony baloney?

It has become an annual holiday tradition at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office in Rosemont, a show and tell of just some of the millions of dollars in phony merchandise intercepted at Chicago's airports.

"Unless you know what you're looking at if you're a computer guy, you won't be able to tell," said Robert Holthouse, U.S. Customs Agent. 

The vast majority of fake stuff flies in boxes from China and Thailand. There is everything from sunglasses to sunhats and sandals to socks.

Much of it is adorned with glittering designer names like Gucci, Burberry, Coach, Versace and Vuitton.

But once you look past the fancy name…

"Then you start to feel it, it feels really thin. The zipper feels like cheap, and it could break," said Nadia Varela, U.S. Customs Agent. "For people who have sensitive skin, you put this on, and you have a green ring around your hand in a couple hours."

Much of this is sent to the Chicago area in bulk, where it's sold online.

If you think it's a victimless crime, agents point out that counterfeit products steal American jobs and are often made with unsafe chemicals and materials.

"There really could be blood on the hands of the people doing this work. And as well, we know from past cases, sometimes the profits from this will go to support transnational criminal organizations. And worse in some cases, terrorist enterprises," said Tim Borden, Chief Supervising Officer. 

Agents also intercept items that have never gone through the U.S. approval process.

In all, more than $14 million in fake merchandise was seized at the port of Chicago this year. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

These agents say if you're buying online, be wary of using sellers based overseas or with no connection to the manufacturer.

But the biggest tipoff that it's a ripoff is the price.

"Is the price significantly less than what it would be if you were to go into a store and purchase the item? That's a huge red flag," said Varela.

In other words, if it's a deal too good to be real, chances are it's a fake.