BBB: Online counterfeit retails scams rank No. 1 in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – If you shop online, chances are you’ve come across counterfeit items.

A new study by the Better Business Bureau sheds light on the growing problem.

According to the BBB, online counterfeit retail is the biggest scam in Wisconsin. Every year, people across the country spend hundreds of billions of dollars on counterfeit goods online.

Counterfeit items aren’t only being found on websites, but on Facebook. The BBB says 25 percent of the ads on Facebook are counterfeit.

Last year, the BBB tracked 2,000 online retail scams, but it is believed many go unreported.

CBS 58 spoke with a Milwaukee woman who ordered two items online. Only one item arrived and it was the wrong size.

“I was so excited to put it on because I’m like okay, I got part of my package,” Maria Gleason said. “I put it on and you just hear the [ripping noise] of the stitches.”

Gleason bought the items through PayPal and was refunded for the shirt that never arrived.

The full study can be found on the BBB’s website.

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