Agencies take down 188 fake-peddling websites

Enforcement agencies in the US and Europe have shut down 188 websites selling counterfeit products to unsuspecting consumers.

The operation - the latest in a global crackdown effort called 'In Our Sites' - was a joint effort between Europol, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the UK's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

The most popular counterfeit products sold by the websites were headphones, sports jerseys, personal care products, shoes, toys, luxury goods, cell phones and electronic accessories. The 188 domain names were seized on the back of tip-offs received from trademark holders in recent weeks.

The number of IOS domain names seized since In Our Sites began in November 2012 has now reached 1,349.

"It is important that we make sure the public is aware of the risks of buying counterfeits," commented PIPCU Detective Inspector Rob Stirling.

"Not only are fake goods likely to be shoddy copies of the original and potentially dangerous, but consumers are also putting their personal and financial information at risk."