U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized 22,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia. If the stickers were genuine, they would have been worth a total of $1,404,700.
CBP officers found the fake inspection stickers in two separate shipments: 10,000 arrived on November 26, and 12,000 arrived on December 9. Officers suspected the inspection stickers were fraudulent and detained the shipments.
After Pennsylvania authorities confirmed that the vehicle inspection stickers were fake, CBP officers seized the items on December 16.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not announce any arrests.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia seized 22,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania motor vehicle inspection stickers on December 16, 2024. The stickers were shipped from Israel and destined to a residential address in Philadelphia. Vehicles operating under fake inspection stickers place other motorists at risk of accident, injury, or death. (CBP Photos/Handouts)U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia seized 22,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania motor vehicle inspection stickers on December 16, 2024. The stickers were shipped from Israel and destined to a residential address in Philadelphia. Vehicles operating under fake inspection stickers place other motorists at risk of accident, injury, or death. (CBP Photos/Handouts)
“Unscrupulous actors peddling fraudulent vehicle inspection stickers create a very serious public safety concern. Fake inspection stickers mask unsafe motor vehicles that place all motorists on our roadways in harm,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to seize illicit and illegal products that could be harmful to consumers and the public when we encounter them.”
Pennsylvania law requires motor vehicles to be inspected annually for compliance with safety and emissions standards. Vehicle owners who knowingly purchase a counterfeit inspection sticker — to avoid costly repairs to pass inspection — face a penalty of up to $500 and possible jail time.