Spotting Counterfeits: 5 Red Flags to Watch Out for (.PDF Download)

Last year, nearly $3 trillion worth of counterfeit goods traded hands—up from $30 billion in the 1980s. This makes counterfeiting at least the tenth largest economy—just above Canada's total GDP and possibly the fourth largest above Germany, according to Forbes. Responsible for 2.5 million lost jobs globally, counterfeiting has a disproportionately high impact on businesses and consumers in the U.S., where shoppers tend to purchase the highest share of counterfeit goods at around 60% to 80% of all goods sold.