NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A shipment containing hundreds of pop-it fidget toys was seized in New Orleans after Customs and Border Protection officers discovered they were counterfeit.
According to CBP officials, the toys had come in on January 11 in three bundles from Shenzhen, China — a location authorities have said is known to ship out other knock-off goods, including fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.
The packages were en route to a private address on the North Shore.
Authorities say after CBP officers inspected the packages, it was discovered the 1,807 toys enclosed had trademark and copyright infringements.
Shapes of the pop-it toys included Yoda, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Bart Simpson, and a Converse sneaker. Mimicking the sensation of popping bubble wrap, pop-it’s have become increasingly popular among school children after going viral on Tiktok in 2020.
Officials say that the toys are just one of the thousands of counterfeit goods seized by CBP annually. In 2020 alone, 26,500 shipments containing counterfeit items were seized by Customs.
Other common knock-off items discovered have included handbags and wallets, electronics, jewelry, and shoes.
Because of the growing threat of counterfeit items, CBP reminds consumers to:
- Purchase items directly from authorized sellers
- Read seller and product reviews prior to buying
- Check for a working U.S. phone number and address that can be used to contact the seller
- Know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is