$1.4 Million In Fake PA Vehicle Registration Stickers Seized

PHILADELPHIA — More than $1.4 million in fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers being shipped to Philadelphia were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

According to authorities, the roughly 22,000 bogus vehicle inspection stickers were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia.

There were no arrests.

Customs officers found the fake inspection stickers in two separate shipments – 10,000 in a parcel that arrived Nov. 26, and 12,000 that arrived in a parcel on Dec. 9.

Officers suspected the inspection stickers to be fraudulent and detained both shipments.

Pennsylvania authorities confirmed that the vehicle inspection stickers were counterfeit, and CBP officers seized the stickers on Dec. 16.

Pennsylvania law requires that motor vehicles be inspected annually to ensure compliance with minimum motor vehicle mechanical, safety, and emissions standards.

Vehicle owners who know that their vehicle would require costly repairs to pass inspection may resort to purchasing a counterfeit inspection sticker at a discount, but if they are caught, face a penalty of up to $500 and potential jail time.

"Unscrupulous actors peddling fraudulent vehicle inspection stickers create a very serious public safety concern. Fake inspection stickers mask unsafe motor vehicles that place all motorists on our roadways in harm," Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia, said. "Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to seize illicit and illegal products that could be harmful to consumers and the public when we encounter them."