Moments after NFL fans learned which teams would be playing in the Super Bowl, counterfeiters took notice of the winners and began sending knock-off NFL merchandise to Chicago.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a large number of fake NFL jerseys and other gear has been seized by trained officers since Sunday.
“We start seeing them almost minute one after the Super Bowl has been determined,” said director of field operations William Ferrara.
Officials said most of the counterfeit items seized at the mail facility near O’Hare International Airport were headed to customers who ordered them online. The counterfeits include jerseys, winter hats and Super Bowl rings.
“If we were not to intercept them, many, many people would spend a lot of money on a product that just simply isn’t up to standards,” Ferrara said.
Some of the tell-tale signs of a fake jersey include the placement of the NFL logos sticking over the “V” of the neck line, as well as player names stitched over other fabric pieces.
Dan Hardman sells authentic NFL merchandise at Pro Jersey Sprots in Downers Grove. He said the material in counterfeit jerseys may start to fade away after one or two washes.
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“It breaks my heart to know that people are trying to save a buck and not invest in something that they really can invest in something that they can have forever,” Hardman said.
Several years ago the government nabbed $17 million in fake NFL gear in Operation Red Zone, a five month operation that seized nearly 200,000 counterfeit items.
