ICE Seizes 70 Websites Selling Imported Counterfeit Goods by Mimicking Real Websites
Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized 70 websites that were illegally selling counterfeit merchandise by mimicking legitimate websites selling authentic merchandise and duping consumers into unknowingly buying counterfeit goods that were imported from abroad, it said. According to ICE, Many of the websites so closely resembled the legitimate websites that it would be difficult for even the most discerning consumer to tell the difference.
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A new twist in the seized websites involved the appearance of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, ICE said. SSL certificates provide authentication for financial information, meaning consumers should be able to trust that they are sending information to the intended server and not to a criminal's server. According to ICE, trusted SSL providers should only issue SSL certificates to verified companies that have gone through several identity checks. In addition to providing authentication, SSL certificates also provide encryption, enhancing the security of credit card numbers, usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. These websites, however, displayed SSL certificates, further duping the consumer into thinking they were shopping on a legitimate website, potentially putting customers' financial information at risk, ICE said.
During this operation, federal law enforcement officers made undercover purchases of a host of products, including baby carriers, professional sports jerseys, language and fitness DVD sets, and a variety of clothing, jewelry and luxury goods from online retailers who were suspected of selling counterfeit products, ICE said. In most cases, the goods were shipped directly into the U.S. from suppliers in other countries. If the copyright holders confirmed that the purchased products were counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold the goods were obtained from federal magistrate judges, ICE said.