CBP Seizes Counterfeit Luxury Facial Creams Labeled As Estée Lauder, SkinCeuticals And Clinique

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they recently seized multiple shipments of counterfeit luxury facial creams, and the agency is warning consumers to beware.

CBP said officers seized four separate shipments of counterfeit cosmetics that would have been worth a total of $28,550 if they had been genuine.

On Feb. 26, CBP officers seized 50 boxes of counterfeit SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 anti-aging cream being shipped from Hong Kong to an address in Allentown, Penn., and 50 boxes of counterfeit Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum cream being shipped from Hong Kong to an address in Whitehall, Penn.

On Feb. 27, officers seized 50 boxes of counterfeit Estée Lauder anti-aging creams shipped from China to an address in Whitehall. On March 1, officers seized 60 boxes of counterfeit Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Moisturizer Tri-Peptide Face and Neck Crème shipped from Hong Kong to an address in Allentown.

For each shipment, officers suspected the products may not be genuine and provided product documentation and photographs to CBPs trade experts at the Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) for analysis. Working with the trademark holders, they confirmed the products were counterfeit.

“The global marketplace has allowed unscrupulous vendors to peddle counterfeit consumer goods as authentic products to unsuspecting consumers, and profit handsomely while placing consumers health and safety at risk,” Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBPs Area Port Director for the Area port of Philadelphia, said in a statement. “Customs and Border Protection urges you to protect your families by purchasing authentic consumer products from reputable retailers. Consumers might save a buck buying a knockoff product today but may end up paying thousands more in unexpected medical bills tomorrow.”

CBP is warning consumers to look out for certain red flags when shopping, including avoiding websites that do not offer customer service contact information, return policies, and legitimate phone numbers.

The agency says consumers should educate themselves on the prices of legitimate goods, because when a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Consumers are advised to purchase goods directly from the trademark holder, original manufacturer or authorized retailers.