MLB Officials Warn Fans of Counterfeit All-Star Week Merchandise
To avoid counterfeit tickets, MLB officials said to look for the unique barcode, watermarks and special inks. Additionally, official souvenir tickets will feature raised lettering.
For counterfeit souvenirs, MLB officials offered fans the following advice:
- Look for the hologram sticker or holographic hangtag with raised baseball stitching.
- Look for a sewn-in or screen-printed label.
- Identify a licensee that the MLB has authorized to produce "official" merchandise.
- Avoid any merchandise with ripped tags or irregular markings.
- Shop at MLB-authorized retail locations.
Fraudulent merchandise is a growing problem in professional sports. Last week, deputies seized $250,000 in counterfeit baseball jerseys and caps. And, after this year's Super Bowl 50, agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations seized an estimated $39 million in counterfeit merchandise.
Hannah Abrams is the senior content editor for Promo Marketing. In her free time, she enjoys coming up with excuses to avoid exercise, visiting her hometown in Los Angeles and rallying for Leonardo DiCaprio to win his first second Academy Award.