Dubai: Consumers have been warned against buying fake smartphones, headsets and other electronic devices that continue to flood the marketplace, as they are not only of cheap quality, they are also hazardous to health.
These knockoff gadgets are being shipped internationally and many of them are copies of popular products from the United States, home to one of the most-loved consumer brands, Apple.
A report released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday showed that nearly one in five mobile phones and one in four video game consoles that are sourced abroad is fake.
“Counterfeit phones can contain more hazardous substances like lead and cadmium than genuine ones, while fake phone charges can mean fire and electric shock risks,” the OECD report stated.
The organisation warned that the most copied devices are those manufactured by brands headquartered in the US and Finland.
According to OECD, nearly half (43 per cent) of seized fake goods infringe the intellectual property rights of US firms, followed by 25 per cent of Finnish companies and 12 per cent for Japanese makers.
The amount of money that goes into counterfeits is tremendous and as of 2013, some $143 billion fake electronic goods had already been sold. The figure is based on the data from nearly half a million seizures made by customs around the world between 2011 and 2013.
Dubai is not spared from the reach of knockoffs. Between January and September 2016 alone, the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai seized more than 12 million fake mobile phones and accessories. The confiscated goods were valued at more than Dh327.4 million.
According to OECD, nearly two-thirds of fake gadgets and devices are shipped by express and postal services, making it more challenging for authorities to screen and detect counterfeits. China is identified as the main supplier of fake goods.
