It may be a black market usually associated with badly spelt, poor quality handbags and boxes of goods that “fell off the back of a lorry” but the global fake goods market is responsible for more than 350,000 serious injuries every year and 70 deaths.
That’s according to the US-based National Crime Prevention Council which this Christmas shopping season is warning buyers to watch out for counterfeit electronics. It estimates that the market for counterfeit goods (products which sellers falsely claim to be made by a particular manufacturer) is worth around $2 trillion a year.
Moreover, the NCPC says that the proceeds of counterfeit sales are often used by organised crime gangs to fund illegal activities such as gang violence, child labour and human trafficking.
Edwina FitzHugh, Partner and Trade Mark Attorney at Potter Clarkson, points out that among the most dangerous corners of the counterfeits market is consumer electronics where the NCPC says they are responsible for a significant number of house fires each year.
“The growth of counterfeit electronics is not just a commercial issue; it is a public safety crisis,” she says. “Fake batteries, chargers, and devices are causing fires, injuries, and even fatalities. Brands must act decisively to protect their customers, and consumers need to be alert to the dangers of buying from unregulated sources.”
FitzHugh says that criminals frequently ape the most popular (and expensive) brands, with Apple iPhone, Apple Watch, Dyson Airwrap, Nintendo Switch, iPad, and Xbox Series X, some of the biggest targets.
NCPC is urging police forces to play a bigger role in spotting fakes by teaching their officers to spot fake electronics. In October is gave its backing to CTIPS – an intellectual property certification programme focussed on protecting IP and combatting illicit trade.
“Counterfeit goods and illicit trade are a $2 trillion-dollar criminal enterprise and major public safety threat,” said Paul DelPonte, executive director & CEO of NCPC. “CTIPS gives law enforcement professionals the tools and knowledge they need to recognize these crimes, dismantle criminal networks, and safeguard consumers.”
Yet, detecting knock-off electronics is not always simple. While some fakes can still be identified by poor packaging or incorrect labelling, many others are repurposed, remarked, or re-engineered to resemble legitimate products so closely that they evade ordinary inspection. These components—and complete devices—are entering the mainstream electronics ecosystem, affecting both consumers and manufacturers.
Another major issue is the fact that regulation is moving more slowly than technology. Firefighters report that one of the fastest growing risk of domestic fires is currently the lithium batteries used in e-bikes – specifically incompatible chargers, modifications to e-bikes, or faulty or counterfeit products which are purchased online.
“We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London. Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted by fires in recent years,” said London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner for Prevention & Protection, Pamela Oparaocha, in October.
“Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are worryingly common in London. Since the beginning of 2023, we have attended a fire, on average, every other day, and some of these fires have destroyed homes and claimed lives.”
