Counterfeit

[1][2][3] Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original to deceive others into believing it is authentic.

[5] Counterfeit food, drinks, medicines, and personal care products can contain harmful or inactive ingredients, causing anything from mild issues to serious, life-threatening.

The United States Secret Service, mostly known for its guarding-of-officials task, was initially organized primarily to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. dollars in the wake of the American Civil War.

Counterfeit government bonds are public debt instruments that are produced without legal sanction, with the intention of "cashing them in" for authentic currency or using them as collateral to secure loans or lines of credit through legitimate channels.

[15] Dupes and knockoffs generally mimic the physical look of other products without copying the brand name or logo of a trademarked item, unlike counterfeits.

[21]The increase in counterfeit goods sales, driven by the rise of globalized supply chains and e-commerce, is enabled through the use of small packages, sometimes referred to as de minimis shipments.

[33] A report from an investigation initiated by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services in March 2011 revealed over 1,800 cases of suspected counterfeit electronic parts within more than 1 million defense-related products.

In countries like North Korea and Russia where trade sanctions were imposed in the past to prevent the importation of popular brands, demand was stimulated for available counterfeit alternatives.

The economic standing of a country or region also contributed to the demand for these products as the average consumer can't afford luxury prices but will gain the same social impact purchasing a knock-off whose quality is almost indistinguishable from the original's.

In particular, social media has a huge influence on over these markets giving people images of things they can't own and further fueling the desire to obtains certain "hyped" items by any means accessible.