How to Avoid Counterfeits This Back-to-School Season

Every August, the familiar rituals occur. In households across America, the lists come out.  Writing utensils, new calculators, lunch boxes, gym shoes, and new clothes. Kids have opinions, and prices are higher than you remember. And somewhere between the trendy sweater and spiral notebooks with special cartoon characters, most parents are just trying to get back-to-school shopping done. 

The pressure to check every box on the list, quickly and affordably, is exactly what counterfeiters seek to exploit. 

The back-to-school season is one of the busiest shopping periods of the year for American households – and it’s a magnet for malicious actors. They insert their advertisements into your social media feeds or place their products onto legitimate online marketplaces. They advertise deals for products that mimic the brands your kids actually want. The prices are affordable. The photos look realistic. And by the time you realize something is off, the package is already on your doorstep. 

The Products You'd Least Expect 

Most people regard the sale of counterfeits as harmless one-offs.  A fake phone case or a knockoff handbag are items typically bought from a sidewalk vendor. But the counterfeit market has no such limits. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized over 79.4 million counterfeit items in fiscal year 2025 alone, with a retail value exceeding $7.4 billion. The products in those shipments, which were often designed to look indistinguishable from the real thing, included children's backpacks with lead-laced zippers, electronics embedded with malware, and personal care items containing heavy metals. 

The health and safety risks associated with counterfeits are both real and specific. Counterfeit contact lenses have been found contaminated with hazardous bacteria. Fake bicycle helmets have failed basic collision tests. Counterfeit phone chargers have melted and caught fire. None of these items went through the product safety and quality testing that legitimate manufacturers require. Counterfeiters skip these steps entirely, and they pass these savings on to you in the form of a price that looks like a deal. 

CBP Is on the Front Lines 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is proud to work alongside CBP and other federal agencies in the fight against counterfeit goods. CBP officers are stopping dangerous fakes before they ever reach American families, and their work is a critical part of keeping our communities safe and the reputation of American brands intact.  Over the past year, the federal government has dedicated greater resources into investigating and prosecuting trade violations. A prominent example of interagency collaboration is the Trade Fraud Task Force, a joint Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice initiative that implements rigorous criminal prosecution and civil enforcement on violative importers and other supply chain actors under the False Claims Act (FCA). 

“CBP is holding bad actors accountable through investigating, targeting, and modernizing our enforcement to stay one step ahead of those looking to game the system,” said CBP Office of Trade Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner Jeff Rezmovic. “We protect domestic industry and maintain a level playing field for American businesses to ensure that U.S. industries aren’t being undercut by those who break the law.” 

The Bigger Picture 

There is also an economic dimension worth understanding. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that counterfeit goods account for roughly $467 billion in global trade. That figure represents lost revenue for legitimate businesses, lost jobs for American workers, as well as lost tax revenue for U.S. states and the federal government. Furthermore, the sale of counterfeits often funds the illegal activities of transnational criminal organizations, which include drug smuggling, human trafficking and force labor practices. 

Buying counterfeit merchandise is also deeply unfair to legitimate manufacturers.  Producers in many industries, including apparel, athletic gear, or office supplies, have to follow strict rules regarding product safety, component sourcing, and licensing requirements to properly use desirable labels, brands, and trademarks. 

When a family unknowingly buys a fake product, they are not just getting a bad deal. They are participating, often unwittingly, in a supply chain of intellectual property theft that negatively impacts the well-being of American families as well as the ingenuity of artisans and entrepreneurs. 

How to Shop Smarter This Season 

The good news is that a few deliberate habits go a long way. Here is what the Chamber and CBP recommend as you work through your back-to-school list: 

• Pause on prices that seem too low. Counterfeiters compete on price. If a name-brand item is selling for a fraction of what it costs everywhere else, then that price is too good to be true. 
• Buy from sources you can verify. Authorized retailers, brand websites, and established marketplaces with strong seller vetting practices are safer bets than unfamiliar third-party storefronts. 
• Look at the details. Misspelled brand names, flimsy packaging, missing safety certifications, and absent warranty information are all warning signs worth heeding. 
• Check the URL before you check out. Secure sites begin with https:// and display a lock icon. If neither is present, do not enter your payment information. 
• Report what you find. If you encounter a suspicious product or seller, you can report it to CBP through the e-Allegations portal or to the National Intellectual Property Rights Center. Reporting a trade violation can help CBP protect American families. 

Make It a Conversation 

Back-to-school shopping is also a genuine opportunity to talk with kids about how markets work, why prices vary, and what it means to be a thoughtful consumer. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office offers resources and interactive tools designed specifically to help young people understand the meaning of intellectual property. In addition, CBP’s Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign website provides comprehensive information regarding the dangers of fake goods. These resources can be the kind of lessons that stick with kids well beyond the school year. 

The U.S. Chamber's ShopSmart campaign exists because informed consumers are the most effective line of defense. Law enforcement works hard at the border, but the choices made at the checkout counter matter, too. This back-to-school season, take a moment to think twice. Your family's safety and wellbeing are worth it.