I responded politely with: "No need to purchase one, those are sold on the black market and support terrorism, and that's just not my bag (awful pun intended) But thanks Mom :) !" While I wasn't too sure about this dramatic statement, it got me thinking: Are we hurting more than the (super rich) designers when we purchase counterfeit designer goods?
Women tend to think when they buy fake designer bags that it is a victimless crime. Well there's a few. I think we're all familiar with sweatshops? There's a few victims there.
To buy these counterfeit items is not a crime, but to be the shady guy selling them from your trunk in a dark alley? That is.
Fakes have come a long way. In some cases, it is near impossible to tell the difference between a really good fake and the real thing. Further prompting women to buy the phonies.
These purses are all bought and sold on the black market. The crime ring involved get the purses manufactured at base price, and sells them for around $40-$150. Peanuts compared to the price it costs for the real thing. It's a lucrative market that they tapped into, as hoards of women want the status that goes along with designer bags, without paying designer prices.
Even more frightening than supporting big city thugs, is the evidence developed by the FBI's joint terrorism task force that the sale of counterfeit goods financed the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The U.S. Customs Service continues to warn that counterfeit designer bags may finance terror.
So what do you think? While you may be the only one that knows you're sporting a fake, is it worth the heavy conscience that will ensue knowing you helped finance terrorism?
