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1.7 Million Counterfeit Car Parts Seized in 550 Raids Called for by Daimler

For any original, successful product on the market there are countless other, counterfeit ones, selling cheaper. Some (most) of these fake products do not threaten the life of the buyers or those around them, but in the case of car parts, they sure do.
	Rims after stress test: Original (left) and counterfeit (right) 7 photos
Photo: Daimler
Fake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in BrazilFake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in BrazilFake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in BrazilFake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in BrazilFake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in BrazilFake Ferrari and Lamborghini shop discovered in Brazil
In a very rare instance when Daimler reveals such things, the German behemoth said this week it had detected an increase in the number of counterfeit parts for the cars it sells, especially safety-related products like brakes and wheels.

According to Daimler, last year saw no less than 1.7 million such parts being confiscated in over 550 raids the carmaker called for and supported in various and undisclosed parts of the world. Back in 2019, Porsche was not so discreet, and called out China for being the source country for most of the 200,000 fake items confiscated a year before.

The value of the merchandise seized on behalf of Daimler was not disclosed, but just to give us a sense of scale when it comes to such illegal operations, the company cites a Unifab trade association report that says counterfeiting car parts is at times more lucrative than selling drugs.

Aside from the physical world, Daimler said it registered a three times increase in online trade with fake parts, with 138,000 fake products removed from online platforms at the Germans' request, made through their Intellectual Property Enforcement unit.

Daimler also gives people some advice when shopping for parts, saying fake ones are easy to spot because of their low price, dubious sources, and questionable quality.

What Daimler does not say is that some people (not few) actively look for fake parts to buy and use, mostly on account they are cheaper than the original ones. And sadly it is these customers that keep this underground industry alive.
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Editor's note: Gallery shows fake Ferraris and Lamborghinis made in Brazil.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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