Photo description:

Corporal John Montgomery of the RCMP's Federal Enforcement Section at a news conference Tuesday with a small sample of the aprox. $500,000 in counterfeit goods seized this year. The most common of the knock off products are designer apparel and audiovisual products like DVDs but also included is counterfeit toothpaste, pharmaceutical products, batteries, bicycle helmets and jewelry. As the holiday season approaches the RCMP is reminding consumers to be wary of merchandise by examining packaging and product closely for spelling errors or shoddy appearance, purchase from reputable dealers and if the price is too good to be true it probably is. see rcmp release (WAYNE GLOWACKI/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Winnipeg Free Press Dec.4 2012