$180,000 in Fake Blackhawks Merchandise Seized by Feds

More than $180,000 in counterfeit Chicago Blackhawks championship merchandise was seized during and after the team’s Stanley Cup victory in a series of raids dubbed Operation Team Player.

More than 4,350 fake caps, sweatshirts and other items were taken off the streets, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“During every major sporting event in this country, criminal groups capitalize on the enthusiasm of fans by selling them counterfeit team merchandise,” said James Gibbons, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, in a statement.

Last week, before the Blackhawks emerged as NHL champs, a Mount Prospect man was busted by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department and accused of making a variety of fakes, including 130,000 lampshades, at his Elk Grove Village business, Max International Trading Corp. Jeff Huang, 61, faces five felony charges of unauthorized use of a trademark.

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There will be more crackdowns in the future, but fans will also encounter a lot of counterfeit gear online and on the streets. If the price is too good to be true, chances are you’re looking at counterfeit Blackhawks championship gear, according to the Better Business Bureau.

“We hear the championship caps are in great demand and are hard to find right now but it’s a safe bet other items such as jerseys and t-shirts will be in short supply as well,” says Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau for Chicago and Northern Illinois. “The really hot items to counterfeit are the t-shirts, caps and smaller items that can easily be sold on the street.”

Fans buying merchandise at NHL.com, an arena store, or from a reputable local retailer can be confident their purchases will be genuine.

There are ways to tell if the item you are buying is counterfeit:

• NHL Hologram – A hologram should appear on all NHL licensed merchandise. On a jersey or sweater you should find it on a tag. On smaller items expect to find a hologram sticker.
• Stitching – Counterfeit jerseys and hats often have inferior stitching. There may even be typos.
• Discoloration or Fuzzy Logos – The logos should be crisp and clean. The screen printing on fake t-shirts will be blurry and have some color bleed and sometimes the colors in the logo are incorrect.
• Snipped Tags – Counterfeiters will buy cheap garments on the secondary market and print the logos on these. The snipped tag indicates the garments are seconds.
• Avoid Unlicensed Sites – Fans should be leery of purchases on sites such as Craigslist, online auctions sites or sites not licensed by the NHL.