The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million).
It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players.
Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters.
Photo copied by Lu Yun-feng, Taipei Times
The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines, said it seized 720 counterfeit Beyblades in New Taipei City, followed by 64,000 in New Taipei City and Taoyuan in June, and 4,176 in Tainan and Keelung in July.
The police corps said that its frontline officers are professional experts who are well versed in distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit Beyblades.
Upon opening the shipment boxes at the scene, the inspectors checked if the top-right corner of the outer packaging carried the blue “Takara Tomy” logo and the Beyblade mark in Japanese, it said.
Although the product design and overall look of the counterfeit goods resembled the genuine product, the poor print quality, color and lack of fine details were dead giveaways, it said.
The officers used reverse image searches to cross-reference product model numbers and determine whether they are authentic, it said, adding that importers of suspect products are asked to produce authorization documents.
The officers then contacted the authorized distributor in Taiwan, Lih Yen Co, to examine photographs and videos of the seized items, while they carried out sampling procedures and completed on-site identification, it said.
The Third Special Police Corps advised parents to accompany their children when purchasing Beyblades and make sure to look for the official certification mark and avoid buying from unverified retailers.
Counterfeit Beyblades have poor workmanship, are made of brittle plastic and are structurally unsound, it said.
During high-speed spinning and intense collisions, they are prone to shatter and send sharp debris flying, which could cause eye or facial injuries, it said.
The paint on counterfeit Beyblades might also contain toxic heavy metals and plasticizers, it said.
The police corps also cautioned consumers to be vigilant to avoid falling for online shopping scams.
Data from the New Taipei City Police Department listed 122 cases of Beyblade-related online shopping scams in the past seven months: one in March, 17 in April, 29 in May, 25 each in June and July, 19 in August and six so far this month.
The common methods used by scammers include requests for ATM cash transfers, payment app deductions, physical game point cards or even asking victims to mail their bank cards, the data showed.
The department warned that fraudsters usually draw in buyers by offering “ultra-low prices” or impersonate popular shopping Web sites to trick users into believing they are legitimate platforms, but victims never receive the goods after transferring money.
It reminded people that if they receive any messages requesting private transactions, off-platform payments, personal information, verification codes or ATM transactions, they should immediately stop following the instructions and verify with the platform’s official customer service.
The Third Special Police Corps said it would continue to closely monitor maritime borders and would not tolerate any products that compromise the health and safety of young Taiwanese.
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The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
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