U.S. Customs officers seized 60 fake Steelers Super Bowl rings last month that, if authentic, would have been worth nearly $100,000, a spokesman for the department said.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized the packages, which arrived from China, between Dec. 9 and 23, according Steve Sapp, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection field office in Baltimore.
He said while some Steelers fans are buying new jerseys and other gear in anticipation for Sunday’s Wild Card game against the Cleveland Browns, some thought they were purchasing Super Bowl rings from years past.
“But just like a jilted love,” he said in a statement, “they’ll never see those rings, because the Super Bowl rings they purchased online are counterfeit.”
Sapp said the rings came in sets of six, representing the team’s six previous championship wins. If authentic, they would have been worth about $90,000.
He said when the packages arrived at Customs, officers suspected the rings were counterfeit and sent them to the department’s import specialists. They, in turn, confirmed the rings were false and violated trademarks for both the NFL and the Steelers.
The investigation and seizure of the rings wrapped up Thursday.
“Steelers fans are some of the best fans in the country and I certainly can appreciate them wanting to own collector sets representing their team’s past glories. But upon further review, these rings are counterfeit and the call to seize them stands,” said Keith Fleming, CBP’s Acting Director of Field Operations in Baltimore.
He encouraged fans of any team – as well as all consumers – to double check the authenticity of what they’re buying and the reputation of the seller.
