Rob Repta, Senior Designer and Social Media Strategist at Design Packaging, Inc., talks about counterfeit luxury packaging and the ways to spot them with preventative measures.

Most of us know at least one person toting a faux handbag, or purchasing knock-off cosmetics and skincare products; it’s an epidemic. Street vendors that once sold counterfeit goods in public arenas turned to shadowy figures in dark alleys and secret rooms which weren’t exactly safe. Now with the rising e-commerce market, those same figures have morphed into URL’s, where anybody from the comfort and safety of their home can purchase counterfeit goods. Of course this is nothing new, counterfeiters have existed from the beginning of time. What has risen however is the greater use of fraudulent packaging. The same way hidden boutiques and legitimate–looking sites draw the veils of deceit, counterfeit packaging falsely authenticates counterfeit products.