Electronics
While it might feel bad to spend money on a fake handbag, it can be potentially life-threatening to buy phony electronics.
In one case in 2013, customs officers stopped a load of fake toasters from entering the U.S. The toasters had fraudulent UL labels – short for Underwriters Laboratories, whose label serves as a safety seal – which looked a lot like the real ones, except for a misspelling (“One Yean Warranty”), according to Consumer Reports.
Other fake electronics can be missing components that shield users from electric shocks. With electronics, it’s best to scrutinize the UL labels and safety components to make sure they aren’t either counterfeit or missing.
