PHOENIX — When it comes to spotting fake sports merchandise, it's getting harder and harder as the people producing these counterfeit goods are getting more clever.
ABC15 recently spoke to Jim Mancuso, Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, about what to look out for:
Holograms
Mancuso says legit merchandise will have a hologram tag and when you bend it towards the light, you should be able to see red and blue, and the footballs should be a brownish color.
Stitching
Make sure you are checking the stitching on the outside and the inside of the jersey.
Real jerseys will have consistent, clean stitching that doesn't "bleed" through or have felt on them. Fake stitching may appear slightly sloppier and not consistent throughout. Also, check the tags on the inside of the jersey - the color of the jersey shouldn't bleed through to it. For example, on a fake Chief's jersey we saw, the inside tag looked pink in color instead of white.
Logos
Real jerseys will have logos that look even throughout, and lettering that is also even.
