The feds are cracking down on NFL knockoff jerseys that are flooding the market in advance of the Super Bowl.
INSIDE EDITION's Megan Alexander is in Indianapolis where she was allowed to accompany agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), part of the Department of Homeland Security, as they conducted a raid on shops suspected of selling bogus NFL merchandise.
The crackdown was part of a larger operation that has already netted nearly $5 million and tens of thousands of pieces of fake merchandise.
When agents entered the store they found plenty of fake merchandise. But when they were finished seizing counterfeit jerseys all that was left were bare walls.
So how do you spot the fake?
"First off, you have to look at the overall quality of the jersey," said an undercover federal agent.
Agents say that sometimes you will notice there is actually different color stitching in the letters. Also if you look at the NFL logo, you may notice blurry letters or emblems or spelling mistakes.
And then there's the price. Official NFL jerseys can run upwards of $100. At the store ICE raided, jerseys ran just $50.
The feds are also cracking down on websites that sell fake gear and web channels that plan to air the Super Bowl illegally. Even superstar quarterback Tom Brady admits he watched last year's big game on an illegal website.
"Last year, you know, I was at rehab with my foot, in Costa Rica, and was watching the game on an illegal Super Bowl website," Brady said at a press conference.
Green Bay Packer star linebacker Clay Matthews told INSIDE EDITION real fans deserve real merchandise. "I think when people go out and spend the money to buy official and licensed merchandise, they expect to get that, not just some counterfeit junk.."
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