How to Tell Authentic Luxury Items From Counterfeits: A Buyer's Checklist

Counterfeit designer goods remain one of the most seized categories of fake products worldwide, and officials say the volume is rising. The checks below are drawn from customs agencies, the International Trademark Association's anti-counterfeiting campaign, and an industry expert interviewed by a trade publication.

How big is the counterfeit problem

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission reported that customs and internal-market enforcement detained more than 196 million counterfeit articles in 2025, with an estimated retail value of €6.3 billion, according to a summary of the report published by IPWatchdog. That represented a roughly 67% rise in the number of detained items and about a 63% increase in value compared with 2024, which the report described as the second consecutive record year for value. Within the EU's internal market, recorded media such as CDs, DVDs and software were the most frequently detained category at 32.78%, followed by toys at 19.47% and labels, tags and stickers at 13.41%; trademark infringement accounted for 57% of all cases. China was identified as the leading source country for goods stopped at the EU border, at 40.77%, followed by Türkiye at 18.63% and Hong Kong at 5.70%.

In the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it seized more than 32 million counterfeit items in fiscal year 2024, which would have been worth over $5.4 billion had they been genuine, according to a joint statement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. CBP's AnnMarie R. Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the agency's Office of Trade, said counterfeits can range "from toys with elevated lead content to cosmetics with nasty ingredients you wouldn't want on your skin," pointing to health and safety risks beyond lost money.

Step-by-step: checks before and after you buy

1. Buy only from authorized retailers or official brand websites. The International Trademark Association's (INTA) Unreal Campaign advises treating third-party marketplace sellers and social-media sellers with caution and checking for verifiable contact information, reviews and return policies.
2. Compare the price with the brand's official retail price. INTA lists price as one of its three core checks, noting that counterfeit items are typically sold well below genuine retail cost and that unusually low prices are a warning sign.
3. Examine the logo, font and design against the brand's own website or store imagery. INTA recommends checking the exact placement of brand markings, and Fairfax & Favor's Charlie Cooke, speaking to FashionUnited, said discrepancies in logos, fonts, colour schemes or spelling are common tells on fakes.
4. Look closely at stitching and hardware. Cooke told FashionUnited that authentic bags show meticulous, consistent stitching, while counterfeits often show frayed or uneven work; genuine hardware also tends to resist fading, unlike cheaper alternatives used on fakes.
5. Check the materials and any care labels. According to Cooke, genuine leather differs from imitation material in texture and flexibility and may carry certification stamps, and authentic products include care instructions — their absence can signal a counterfeit.
6. Look for serial numbers, unique identifier codes or QR codes and, where possible, verify them with the brand or retailer. Both INTA and Cooke point to these codes as a manufacturer-verifiable feature that many designer items include.
7. Check the packaging and documentation. Cooke said authentic luxury items come with premium-quality packaging, and CBP's general guidance tells shoppers to examine labels, packaging and contents, watching for broken or missing safety seals and unusual packaging.
8. If shopping online, confirm the seller and the connection are secure. CBP recommends buying only from sites beginning with "https://" with a visible lock symbol, and INTA's Unreal Campaign separately advises checking that a seller provides verifiable contact information, reviews and a clear return policy.
9. If you believe you purchased a counterfeit, report it. CBP directs consumers to its Trade Violations Reporting system or the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

Why officials say it matters beyond the item itself

CBP's joint statement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said proceeds from counterfeit sales have been used to fund terrorism and other violent and illegal activity, and that counterfeit items are often made with inferior-quality materials that can pose health and safety risks. The EUIPO/European Commission report figures, as summarized by IPWatchdog, describe 2025 as a new benchmark year for enforcement, with Italy alone accounting for more than 80% of articles detained within the EU internal market.