Government Seizes 82 Websites for Selling Counterfeit Goods

For years we’ve warned that one of the biggest scams perpetrated during the holidays is counterfeit merchandise, most often sold online. Yesterday the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement did something about it, seizing and effectively shutting down 82 web sites. From their press release…

“The sale of counterfeit U.S. brands on the Internet steals the creative work of others, costs our economy jobs and revenue and can threaten the health and safety of American consumers,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton. “The protection of intellectual property is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. We are dedicated to protecting the jobs, the income and the tax revenue that disappear when counterfeit goods are trafficked.”

The coordinated federal law enforcement operation targeted online retailers of a diverse array of counterfeit goods, including sports equipment, shoes, handbags, athletic apparel and sunglasses as well as illegal copies of copyrighted DVD boxed sets, music and software.

During the course of the operation, federal law enforcement agents made undercover purchases from online retailers suspected of selling counterfeit goods. In many instances, the goods were shipped directly into the United States from suppliers in other countries using international express mail. If the goods were confirmed as counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold the goods were obtained from U.S. magistrate judges. Individuals attempting to access the websites will now find a banner notifying them that the domain name of that website has been seized by federal authorities.

“By seizing these domain names, we have disrupted the sale of thousands of counterfeit items, while also cutting off funds to those willing to exploit the ingenuity of others for their own personal gain,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Intellectual property crimes are not victimless. The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs. The Justice Department, with the help of our law enforcement partners, is changing the perception that these crimes are risk-free with enforcement actions like the one announced today.”

Here’s a list of the sites: hopefully you haven’t already sent money to any of them. As you can see by the domain names, many of the sites seem to specialize in DVDs, golf, handbags, scarves and sunglasses.

List of Domains Seized

1. 2009jerseys.com
2. 51607.com
3. amoyhy.com
4. b2corder.com
5. bishoe.com
6. borntrade.com
7. borntrade.net
8. boxedtvseries.com
9. boxset4less.com
10. boxsetseries.com
11. burberryoutletshop.com
12. burberryoutlet-us.com
13. cartoon77.com
14. cheapscarfshop.com
15. coachoutletfactory.com
16. dajaz1.com
17. discountscarvesonsale.com
18. dvdcollectionsale.com
19. dvdcollects.com
20. dvdorderonline.com
21. dvdprostore.com
22. dvdscollection.com
23. dvdsetcollection.com
24. dvdsetonline.com
25. dvdsuperdeal.com
26. eluxury-outlet.com
27. getdvdset.com
28. gofactoryoutlet.com
29. golfstaring.com
30. golfwholesale18.com
31. handbag9.com
32. handbagcom.com
33. handsbagpop.com
34. icqshoes.com
35. ipodnanouk.com
36. jersey-china.com
37. jerseyclubhouse.com
38. jordansbox.com
39. lifetimereplicas.com
40. louis-vuitton-outlet-store.com
41. louisvuittonoutletstore4u.com
42. louisvuittonoutletstores2u.com
43. lv-outlets.com
44. lv-outlets.net
45. lv-outletstore.com
46. massnike.com
47. merrytimberland.com
48. mycollects.com
49. mydreamwatches.com
50. mygolfwholesale.com
51. mytend.com
52. nfljerseysupply.com
53. nibdvd.com
54. nystylerolex.com
55. odvdo.com
56. oebags.com
57. onsmash.com
58. overbestmall.com
59. rapgodfathers.com
60. realtimberland.com
61. rmx4u.com
62. scarfonlineshop.com
63. scarvesviponsale.com
64. shawl-stor.com
65. silkscarfonsale.com
66. silkscarf-shop.com
67. skyergolf.com
68. sohob2b.com
69. sohob2c.com
70. storeofeast.com
71. stuff-trade.com
72. sunglasses-mall.com

How do you avoid buying counterfeit merchandise? The same way you avoid most scams – by assuming that prices that seem too good to be true, are.