Counterfeit Auto Parts on the Rise

A deadly gap has formed in the supply chain for after-market automotive parts. Authorities say they are tracking growing incidents involving counterfeit air bags in automobiles, including at least five in the past year that have triggered deaths or serious injuries.

Reports show the unusually high number comes as federal regulators have been cracking down on the growing problem, including an indictment in May of two individuals alleged to have sold thousands of unauthorized air bags that were listed on eBay as in brand-new condition. The recent activity is reviving concerns about counterfeit air bags entering the U.S. illegally and making their way into vehicles.

Counterfeiters are getting more sophisticated in dodging U.S. authorities. Rather than ship fully built modules to the U.S., they are increasingly turning to small parcel packages to send pirated parts individually, making them tougher to detect, and assembling them afterward.

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