Counterfeit cell phone cases, perfumes look real enough to fool

As the holiday shopping season kicks off, federal agents are warning consumers about counterfeit products showing up on store shelves and websites.  The items – which can include pricey headphones, cell phone cases, DVDs and perfumes – may look real from the outside, with elaborate boxes designed to dupe the consumer. But inside, the items are fake. Authorities say tip-offs to spotting a fake include misspelled words on the box, missing packaging and – often one of the biggest keys – the price. “If the price is too good to be true it probably is and you’re probably not buying a real product,” said Carissa Cutrell, public affairs officer for Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa. Counterfeit Beats headphones, OtterBox cell phone cases and Chloe perfume are among the items agents seized in the Tampa Bay area.