counterfeit news stories on Newser

Police Grab $6 Trillion in Phony US Bonds

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:04:33 CST

A minor crime averted in Italy: Police seized $6 trillion in phony US Treasury bonds that a criminal network reportedly planned to use to buy plutonium . Cops grabbed the fake bonds at a Swiss trust company in the city of Potenza, they said yesterday. US experts identified the forgeries and...

Dangerous Counterfeit Cancer Drug Found in US

Rob Quinn — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:44:00 CST

A fake version of best-selling anti-cancer drug Avastin has been found in the US. Swiss drugmaker Roche has warned doctors and hospitals to be on the lookout for the counterfeit medication, which lacks the intravenous drug's active ingredient, the Wall Street Journal reports. Samples of the fake drug are still...

Guy Pays Walmart Tab With $1M Bill

Polly Davis Doig — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:00:05 CST

He definitely wanted to keep the change: Cops have charged a North Carolina man after he attempted to pay a $476 Walmart tab ... with a $1 million bill. Seems that 53-year-old Michael Fuller bought a vacuum, microwave, among other items, and forked over the bill when it came time to...

Feds Grab 150 Websites in Counterfeit Case

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:45:05 CST

Buyers of online counterfeit goods may find their favorite websites are under federal lock-down, NPR reports. Authorities have impounded the domain names of 150 websites suspected of selling pirated or counterfeit items, they said today. That includes sellers of DVD sets, golf equipment, and professional sports jerseys. "For most, the...

Knock-Off Bags May Boost Sales of Real Thing

Sarah Whitmire — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:10:34 CDT

A New York City councilwoman is trying to make it illegal to own a knock-off designer bag in her district of Chinatown, on the grounds that it hurts business for the real designer. Not so fast, writes Ray Fisman at Slate . Counterfeits may actually help those businesses by essentially acting...

'Shoeless' Joe Jackson Hall of Fame Jersey a Fake

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:13:56 CDT

For 10 years, the Baseball Hall of Fame displayed a jersey supposedly worn by "Shoeless" Joe Jackson during the 1919 World Series—which he and his teammates infamously threw. Turns out the jersey, just like the Series, is a fake. It was pulled from display in 2008, and a memorabilia...

Buyers Scammed for Millions in Record EBay Ripoff

Rob Quinn — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:30:03 CDT

Consumers around the world were bilked out of millions of dollars for counterfeit golf clubs in the biggest-ever eBay scam, reports the Times of London. The clubs, as well as clothing, accessories and passes for an airline lounge, were auctioned online from 2004-2008 by a criminal network involving crooks from...

Peru Flooding US With Counterfeit Bills

Mat Probasco — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 04:54:59 CDT

American officials have seized some $8 million in high-quality counterfeit US bills made in Peru, reports the Los Angeles Times . South American raids have uncovered another $18 million. The massive number of fake bills costs businesses and individuals millions, and threatens to undermine confidence in US currency, warn officials. "It's...

$134B Bond Fraud May Be Mob Handiwork

Jason Farago — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:18:44 CDT

The counterfeit bonds with a face value of $134 billion seized near the Swiss border are probably the work of the Mafia, say Italian and American secret services. The mystery surrounding the suitcase stuffed with fake US Treasury bonds deepened yesterday, after a blog revealed that police had released the...