Author: adminficci

Dangerous fake drink on sale in the county

DRINKERS are being warned that “extremely dangerous” bogus booze could be on sale across the county. It comes as an off-licence owner was fined a record amount in Oxfordshire for selling counterfeit alcohol. Oxfordshire County Council’sTrading StandardsTeam has seized 227 bottles of fake wine and eight bottles of vodka since June last year. And last night it warned they could be contaminated with chemicals. About £2,000 worth of counterfeit alcohol was seized from Ansh Food and Wine in Chinnor in April. The haul included 147 bottles of fake Blossom Hill wine, 28 bottles of counterfeit Jacob’s Creek wine, and one bottle of fake vodka.Store owner Paramjit Singh Khiali was fined £9,250 and £1,941 costs at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week after he admitted eight charges under the food safety and trade mark laws. He admitted buying alcohol on three occasions without doing proper checks. The 47-year-old was caught after a customer alerted Trading Standards after buying some fake wine. Mr Khiali told the Oxford Mail that he did not know the alcohol was counterfeit and he was sorry for his mistake. Shop assistant Kultar Singh said the fine would hurt the business. He said: “It was a mistake. We did not realise. I know if I sell bad stuff we will lose customers.” Trading Standards can now call for the shop’s licence to be reviewed. Its head Richard Webb said fake booze was becoming more widespread. “It’s a problem across the whole country, but we are starting to see more cases of counterfeit alcohol being distributed across Oxfordshire.” Of Mr Khaili’s fine, he added: “We are pleased with the result, and it shows that the court takes matters of counterfeit alcohol very seriously. “The high fine reflects the importance of being able to trace the supply chain for products so that any unsafe goods can be quickly removed from the market.“Businesses should only buy their stock from legitimate source; otherwise there are potential serious consequences for any retailer.”Trading Standards is now analysing the seized bottles to determine if they contained any dangerous chemicals.Judith Heathcoat, council cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: “Counterfeit alcohol can be extremely dangerous as it is usually mixed with chemicals that aren’t fit for consumption.”Three bottles of illegal vodka were seized from the 7 to 9 store in Oxford Road, Cowley, in October last year and the shop was given a warning.Trading Standards said it was not known where the alcohol was coming from, but said some cold callers turn up at off-licences claiming their businesses have closed and they are selling stock.Abingdon GP Dr Prit Buttar said counterfeit booze could be contaminated with a range of dangerous chemicals.He said: “Methanol can blind permanently. Some of the other contaminants can cause irreparable damage and if it was somebody with a history of heavy alcohol consumption then that would make the toxic effect greater.”

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10096579.Dangerous_fake_drink_on_sale_in_the_county/?ref=rss

Counterfeiters target online shoppers

The world of cyberspace is rife with risk for online shoppers who are increasingly targeted by counterfeit goods manufacturers, North American delegates to an annual GTA police and trade conference were told Wednesday. And while many consumers know of fake $10 Rolex watches and $40 Gucci handbags, bogus medicines and computer software that can strip personal information and plant viruses have become a serious global problem, speakers said. James Dickmeyer, the U.S. Consul-general in Toronto, said the underworld is increasingly involved.“These are criminal organizations that don’t recognize borders,” he said.Dickmeyer said under an agreement Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama signed early in 2011, American and Canadian personnel on patrol ships are working together to seize counterfeit goods being shipped between the countries. Mutual co-operation “is a growing trend that is necessary,” he said.Matthew Stentz, the Homeland Securities Investigations attaché at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, added “the most alarming trend in recent years is the use of the Internet.”Pharmaceuticals and a wide range of fake products are offered, although stores and flea markets still stock them, he said. Crooks also produce fake, often substandard auto and aircraft parts, electronic goods that catch fire due to faulty wiring, airbags, and pharmaceuticals, Stentz said .A wide range of spurious goods including team jerseys laced with urine, phony Viagra, Angry Bird toys stuffed with human and dog hair and skin-damaging razors were put on display at the conference put on by Toronto lawyer Lorne Lipkus .Representatives from enforcement agencies, including Toronto Police, the FBI and the RCMP attended the event which was held at a Toronto hotel. Some of the bogus goods came from a recent $4-million seizure by Toronto Police and RCMP officers, Lipkus said. Unlike U.S. Customs officials, who have the right to investigate, seize and stop counterfeit goods shipments, he said Canadian Border Service Agency officers lack legislated authority and must “call the RCMP.”RCMP Insp. Todd Gilmore said his 30 local specialist officers, now focusing increasingly on cross-border and mail shipments, seized counterfeit goods worth $78.6 million under Project O-Scorpion since last years. The Mounties charged 19 importers, including several repeat offenders. Gilmore’s display included fake TTC badges and a pea-shooting pellet Glock-style pistol so realistic that one “was used in a bank robbery.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/05/counterfeiters-target-online-shoppers

Nokia campaigns against fake phones

Mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia would embark on an intensive campaign in the first quarter of 2013 to raise public awareness on the dangers of using fake mobile phones.James Rutherfoord, Vice President of Nokia West Africa, who stated this, noted that the influx of fake phones onto the Ghanaian market is a major source of concern not only for Nokia but other phone manufacturers.“As such in the first quarter of 2013, Nokia would embark on educational campaigns and engage officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and train them on how to identify fake devices.”He added that the company would also implement the care line, which would allow consumers to determine the serial numbers of their genuine phones.Mr. Rutherfoord stated this in an interview withCITY & BUSINESS GUIDEduring the first anniversary of the launch of Nokia Asha in Lagos, Nigeria.

Warning to parents as counterfeit toys flood the market

Parents have been warned to be wary of purchasing counterfeit Christmas toys that could be harmful to children.The seasonal message to put safety first was issued last night as Customs officers disclosed they had seized almost 2,000 toys that had not been subjected to any regulations.Officers made a total of 18 seizures, comprising 1,903 items with a retail value of about €37,410 over the past year.The major risks from playing with unsafe toys involve choking and reactions to chemicals, such as lead.Officers said the production of counterfeit goods was generally not subject to regulation.One added: “At best, fake or counterfeit goods do not deliver the expected and promised results of genuine products while, at worst, they can carry health and safety risks.”One-third of this haul has been recovered since the start of September as unscrupulous dealers prepare to flood theChristmasmarket.One of the seizures earlier in the year contained 384 sets of counterfeit Barbie Doll clothing, while other items included cars, Thomas the Tank Engines and Winnie the Pooh figures.

Haul

Also recovered were 643 school bags bearing trademarks such asHello Kittyand Batman.In the past few weeks, officers have also seized a haul of 700 fake Angry Bird chairs.The seizures so far this year represent a massive increase on all of 2011 when officers found 430 counterfeit items, with a retail value of €11,000.The National Consumer Agency (NCA) urged shoppers to make sure they observed age-suitability warnings.It told consumers to check for the CE mark when buying toys as this meant they met European safety standards.AnEU-wide survey showed that the top 10 infant or child products resulting in injuries were: a swing or slide; a toy; changing table; tricycle; baby pram or buggy; high chair or booster seat; a cot, crib or baby bed; a baby walker; marbles or beads; and a tree house or playhouse. An EU database indicated that about 180,000 children require emergency medical treatment each year for injuries linked to these products. Consumers who encounter a toy that seems unsafe or does not have a CE mark should contact the retailer who sold it, and make a report to the NCA.

Police release details of counterfeit seizure

Toronto police announced details of one of the largest seizure of counterfeit goods in the city’s history.At a morning press conference, staff inspector Bryce Evans said that 10 people were arrested and charged with a variety of offences related to the possession and sale of counterfeit goods.According to police over $3 million in counterfeit goods were seized. During the press conference police also shared details of an ongoing counterfeit operation dubbed ‘Project Consumer Safety’, meant to educate the public about the dangers of buying counterfeit items.Police say they found bacteria, mildew and chicken parts used in one counterfeit jacket. They also cautioned parents about buying fake plush toys for kids, which often end up in the child’s mouth, due to the uncertainty of what they are made with or where they came from.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/police+to+release+details+of+counterfeit+seizure/6442764803/story.html

Counterfeit goods seized during joint agency raids – Macquarie Park

Police have seized thousands of dollars worth of alleged counterfeit goods during raids in Sydney’s North West. At about 9am (Tuesday 27 November 2012), officers attached to Gladesville Local Area Command and investigators from NSW Department of Fair Trading and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, executed a search warrant at a warehouse in Macquarie Park.Investigators located twelve pallets of footwear bearing brand names such as Nike, ASICS, ADIDAS and Converse, suspected to be counterfeit.The goods are currently being inspected for authenticity by representatives of Nike Australia and ACG Corporate Services (ASICS and adidas).Police also located further pallets of clothing and footwear that will undergo authenticity testing over coming days.Inquiries are continuing and charges are expected.

Feds, industry split over counterfeit parts strategy

Industry groups are crying foul over steps the government is taking to curb the growing problem of counterfeit parts making their way into products and weapons bought by the government. Of particular concern is a provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which orders the Defense Department to hold contractors financially responsible for replacing counterfeit products. In addition, the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency announced in August that contractors will have to specially tag electronic microcircuits, which are frequent targets for counterfeiters, with a botanically generated DNA marking to assure their authenticity. In both cases, industry executives say the mandates are unfair and could be costly. The Pentagon has yet to publish rules for how it will hold contractors financially liable for counterfeit components in their products. Trey Hodgkins, senior vice president of global public-sector government affairs at TechAmerica, said his group’s members are concerned they will be exposed to potentially significant financial liability.“Industry is waiting around, [and] it’s beginning to impact performance because companies are anticipating liability,” Hodgkins said. Contractors are starting to put clauses in their contractual agreements and negotiate with suppliers the issue of shared liability if a counterfeit part were to be sold to the government. TechAmerica and numerous industry groups are pressing lawmakers to pass a provision in the House-passed 2013 National Defense Authorization Act that will provide relief for companies who take steps to mitigate counterfeits.“If it fails, it will be a big deal,” Hodgkins said. Commercial companies may decide not to participate in some contract competitions because of liability concerns, he added. That measure would amend the current law to shield contractors from the financial burdens of replacing suspected and known counterfeit parts, including previously used parts, if:

• The contractor is using a method, approved by the Defense Department, to identify and avoid counterfeit electronic parts.

• The counterfeit part was procured from a trusted supplier, as defined by DoD, or the part was provided to the contractor as government property.

• The contractor notifies the government in writing within 60 days of discovering or suspecting that the government or its contractors have bought a counterfeit part.“This would remove any ambiguity that might currently exist,” said Larry Allen, president of consulting firm Allen Federal Business Partners. “It’s a gray area,” when determining who would be financially responsible, Allen said. Under the 2012 NDAA, contractors and subcontractors are also required, whenever possible, to buy products from original manufacturers, their authorized dealers or companies that DoD deems as trusted suppliers. But trusted suppliers have not been clearly defined or identified, Hodgkins said.If contractors have to establish a separate supply chain for their government business to meet these standards, that could increase costs to government, said Erica McCann of TechAmerica. “Considering the times are calling for doing more with less, this seems to be outside the scope of the primary mission to reduce spending,” McCann said.When the government uses a “lowest price, technically acceptable” standard for evaluating contract bids, there is going to be an overwhelming amount of pressure on vendors to use counterfeit equipment to keep costs low, Allen said.“While contractors should not be off the hook, the government can’t expect to pay discount prices for real stuff or real product,” he said.Over the past decade, the number of high-risk suppliers to the federal government, including companies known to have sold suspect counterfeit parts, rose 63 percent from 5,849 companies in 2002 to 9,539 companies in 2011, according to data released last month by the global information firm IHS. This does not necessarily mean the government bought counterfeit products from those vendors.“This is a sophisticated issue that is hard to detect, [and] counterfeiters are getting better at falsifying parts,” said Rory King, director of strategic supply chain solutions for IHS.The matter of liability for counterfeit parts gained steam in Congress last year when reports surfaced that counterfeit memory chips made their way into computers of the country’s primary missile defense system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. The Pentagon shelled out $2.7 million to fix the problem.If those components had failed, the THAAD system would likely have failed, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said at a hearing last November.“And who do you think paid for it?” Levin said at the hearing. “The American taxpayer. … There is no reason on earth that the replacement of a counterfeit part should be paid for by American taxpayers, instead of by the contractor who put it in a military system.“In fact, the Pentagon later charged THAAD’s contractor, Lockheed Martin, for the costs.Industry groups are also troubled by the Defense Logistics Agency’s push to require that all electronic microcircuits be specially tagged as being authentic. To do this, companies will have to contract with Applied DNA Sciences, the Stony Brook, N.Y.-based company that produces the DNA markers, or one of its authorized licensees. The company modifies plant DNA and provides the markers suspended in military grade ink to companies. The ink is then applied to products and can be tested at any point down the road to verify the authenticity of a product. In a Nov. 15 letter to DLA, TechAmerica said the requirement “could be counterproductive and not in the government’s best interests.”Hodgkins said companies don’t know how this DNA will affect the performance of their technology, and the department is authorizing a monopoly because there is only one company in the world that makes this product. TechAmerica urged DLA to postpone the rule and include it as part of the Pentagon’s broader counterfeit regulation to carry out the 2012 defense authorization.

Eaton Corporation : Eaton Shares New Year’s Purchasing Tips to Promote Safety, Combat Electrical Counterfeiting

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation announced tips aimed at helping facility owners and contractors identify counterfeit electrical products. The tips can help customers as they take inventory of their current stock and prepare for purchasing in the New Year. Counterfeit electrical products present serious health and safety risks to consumers and to the electrical industry. These products can overheat or cause short circuits, leading to fires, shocks or explosions that can cost people their lives and produce considerable property damage. Although counterfeit products are often less expensive than legitimate products because the manufacturers cut corners, they also present long-term economic risks related to safety and their negative impact on legitimate manufacturers.”While there are laws against counterfeiting in many countries, detection is sometimes difficult and enforcement is lax,” said Tom Grace, brand protection manager, Eaton’s Electrical Sector. “Legitimate manufacturers, distributors and customers must work together to prevent unsafe products from entering the supply chain and causing harm to people and property. By following these tips, customers can become more confident that their facility is free of counterfeit products.”Buy authentic: The best way to avoid counterfeit electrical products is to purchase products from the manufacture’s authorized distributors or resellers. There is a higher risk of counterfeits if one cannot trace the path of commerce to the original manufacturer. Verify authentication: When possible, use tools provided by the original manufacturer or certification organizations to verify electrical products are authentic. This can be done while purchasing, or for products currently owned. Eaton’s new Circuit Breaker Authentication (CBA) tool is designed to allow customers to detect if Eaton molded circuit breakers (MCCBs), up to 400 amperes, are counterfeit. By entering the bar code, part number and date code found on the circuit breaker, the CBA tool is intended to immediately verify authentication. To learn more, or download the CBA tool, visit www.eaton.com/counterfeit.Scrutinize labels and packaging: When purchasing an electronic product, check for certification marks from organizations that certify the quality and performance of electrical products. Avoid products that lack any identifying branding label or affiliation. Be leery of additional markings or labeling not applied by the original manufactures with missing or poor-quality labels, out-of-date product codes and non-genuine packaging. As counterfeiters become more sophisticated, counterfeit products become even more difficult to detect this way, creating an increasing need for additional scrutiny. Avoid “bargains”: When shopping for electrical products, avoid “bargains” that seem too good to be true. Compare the price of that product to a similar product at a different retailer. If it seems too good to be true, the odds are it is. Pay close attention to products purchased: Quality control is often lacking in counterfeiting operations, so you may be able to spot a counterfeit simply based on its workmanship. If it is a product that is purchased habitually, compare the quality and the price of that product at a different retailer. Be cautious of products that seem flimsy or are noticeably poorly made. Make sure everything that should be there, is there: Counterfeit products often don’t include supplementary materials such as owner’s manual or product registration card. Sometimes counterfeiters do not include all the parts that should come with the product, or some parts will be from a different manufacturer. Report suspected counterfeits: If a product is suspected to be counterfeit, it is recommended to contact the brand owner. This will allow authentication of the suspect product and ensure that the potentially unsafe product is removed from the market place. Stopping the sale of counterfeit products is everyone’s responsibility-manufacturers, distributors, resellers (authorized and unauthorized) and customers alike,” said Grace. “Implementing these tips into inventory and purchasing practices is a big way for customers to help keep counterfeit products out of their facilities and the demand for counterfeits down.”Eaton is committed to stopping counterfeiting of electrical products worldwide. Its electrical business has adopted a strict policy for counterfeiting and is committed to anti-counterfeiting technologies and programs. Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and automation, power monitoring, and energy management products and services. Eaton is positioned, through its global electrical product series and solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges. Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. With 2011 sales of $16.0 billion, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components, systems and services for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and power train systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 74,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries.

132 online counterfeit sites seized in Cyber Monday blitz

ICE agents seized 101 domain names in the United States and 31 were taken over by officers in Britain, Romania, Belgium, France and Denmark and by Europol, the European Police Office, ICE Director John Morton said. The sites, many linked to organized crime, were selling fake goods that ranged from National Football League jerseys and Nike Inc shoes to Adobe Systems Inc software, he said.”There is much money to be made out there duping consumers and that is what is going on,” Morton said on a conference call. Investigations are ongoing and more sites will be seized in coming days. In the United States, 41 rights owners’ merchandise was being sold on the seized sites, Morton said.ICE said in a statement that one U.S. arrest had been made.The crackdown marks the third year that ICE has targeted websites selling counterfeit goods on Cyber Monday, the online shopping spree. It is the first time the agency has carried out the operation with European police. The Cyber Monday seizures raise the total number of U.S. sites taken over to 1,630 since ICE began its anti-counterfeit campaign in June 2010.PayPal accounts identified with the sites and holding a total of more than $175,000 are being targeted for seizure, the ICE statement said. Morton put the scale of online piracy in the billions of dollars. Much of the online counterfeiting is in China and other parts of Asia, and U.S. authorities are working with China on the problem, he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/usa-retail-counterfeit-idUSL1E8MQ50I20121126

Workshop on ‘identification, counterfeit recognition’ ends

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) concluded the series of workshops on “Identification on Counterfeit Recognition” held in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The discussion was held regarding tax complaint cigarette industry in the workshops. FBR receives 39 percent of its FED and 3.5 percent of total tax revenue from legitimate cigarette industry. Speaking on the occasion, Director General of Training and Research Inland Revenue, Ansar Javed said illegal cigarette industry has gradually grown to become one of the largest tax evaders in our economy.“Unfortunately Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries in the world when it comes to illegal cigarette trade and the actual figures to the loss of national exchequer might be closer to Rs 40 to 50 billion, he added. He further added about 18.5 per cent of the cigarette industry in Pakistan comprises of either smuggled products or products on which the due levies are not paid. Underlining the importance of increase in tax net, Ansar Javed deplored the fact that country’s tax to GDP ratio is merely 10.2, which is a dismal 155th in the world and one of the lowest in the region.“Such a huge revenue loss from just one sector is unacceptable.” he stated. He also acknowledged the inherent weaknesses of his organization and conceded the FBR is still far from completely resolving this problem. Director General Human Resource Management FBR, Rana Seerat said expertise in the identification of illicit or counterfeit cigarettes is the first step towards finding a panacea for the evil of illegal cigarette trade and in that perspective such training provide the foundation on which all further efforts by FBR would be based.“The extent of tax evasion and illicit trade in this country puts huge pressure on our economy and also unjustifiably burdens the compliant taxpayers,” she added. She sounded positive that if we can pull our act together and succeed in improving our tax to GDP ratio, all other problems will be tackled. The interesting aspect of the training workshop was thorough and detailed presentations made by officials of PMPKl (formerly Lakson Tobacco) who narrated their side of the story and the woes accompanied them.