Counterfeit Ferrari-Posting Twenty - Four

Here at Fraud Squad we have informed the public of the dangers of purchasing various types of counterfeit products. Prescription drugs, designer sun glasses and replacement parts for cars can all cause serious problems for the unwary consumer.

Well here is one for the case books. Police in Sicily recently broke up a ring of counterfeiters that were producing counterfeit Ferraris. They impounded fourteen Ferrari Modena 360s - seven of them finished and seven in various stages of completion. Using an un-named base car, the counterfeiters were reconstructing it to look like the famous sports car right down to the well known prancing horse emblem on the bonnet and selling them for as little as $30,000 each. The Ferrari Modena 360 was produced from 1999 to 2003 going out of production in 2004. At the time the retail price was $215,000. The current suggested retail price for a 2004 model is approximately $150,000.

The police indicated that all of the buyers knew that the cars were fakes and that people only purchased them to impress their neighbors. This is not the first time that the Ferrari has been copied. Back in the 80's Pontiac sold their Fiero with a special option called the MERA. The car had a completely remade body over the frame of the Fiero which made it look like a Ferrari 308. 247 of the option kits were sold before lawyers for Ferrari put an end to the look-a-like production.

Goes to show that what you see is not always what you get.

Be aware of what you are purchasing and if it is too good a deal think about why. If you or someone you know has a story about counterfeit products let me know. We are always looking for new stories to tell our readers.