One in four people who have purchased items online have unwittingly bought counterfeit goods at some point, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau.
The report, titled "Fakes Are Not Fashionable," which will be released in detail Thursday morning during a news conference in downtown Dallas, is the result of months of work and more than 2,500 counterfeit complaints filed by consumers across the country.
The most common items that the BBB office serving North Central Texas has encountered are electronics, shoes, fragrances, clothes and jewelry, according to a BBB spokesman.
According to the report, "a massive number of deceptive web-sellers illegally use copyrighted pictures of brand-name goods, and then send fake items, low-quality substitutes or nothing at all."
The average amount of money lost by counterfeit victims is $350, according to the BBB report, and the most common age range of counterfeit victims is 30 to 39 years old.
