Over 400 Fake Super Bowl Rings Seized By Customs One Way To Illinois

ST. LOUIS, MO — More than 400 fake Super Bowl championship rings bound for Illinois were recently seized in St. Louis, according to authorities.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Nov. 11 intercepted the shipment from China of 422 rings bearing an image of the Lombardi Trophy and confirmed with an import specialist that the rings were inauthentic and infringed on an NFL Properties trademark, authorities said. The rings were on their way to a home in Jerseyville and had a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $300,000, if they were real, according to authorities.

“Counterfeit jewelry continues to flood the e-commerce market, and these rings were focused on a select group of sports collectors and their fans,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for Chicago, said in a news release.

Jewelry was the third most popular counterfeited item in 2021, according to Customs and Border Patrol, which seized more than 375,000 items of counterfeited jewelry.

In order to avoid purchasing unsafe and substandard goods, Customs and Border Patrol advises customers to do the following:

• Trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• When shopping online, read reviews, look at product photos and check seller information. Inspect the packaging for obvious errors upon arrival.
• Shop from well-known and reputable sources.

To learn more, visit www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.