Counterfeiting tops the list of organized crimes committed worldwide, raking in nearly half a trillion dollars in 2019. These illicit businesses impact consumers, workers, brand owners, state authorities, and the overall economy. For example, counterfeit luxury goods like handbags and watches are commonly sold to unsuspecting consumers and divert revenue from legitimate producers. Moreover, the proliferation of counterfeiting has fueled the advancement of other types of organized crimes, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering. In a new book, a Rutgers University professor investigates this lucrative underground industry and its emergence in China, the global capital of counterfeit manufacturing.

“I interviewed counterfeiters—business owners, workers, facilitators, and key informants—in the hub of Guangzhou to uncover how they design, produce, and distribute fake and unauthorized luxury goods and how they manage the risks inherent in their business,” says author Ko-Lin Chin, professor of criminal justice at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice.

In Counterfeited in China: The Operations of Illicit Businesses, Chin offers new insights into the modus operandi of counterfeiters. He examines the individual and group characteristics of counterfeiters and their relationships with organized crime; analyzes the economic aspects of counterfeiting; assesses the relationships among counterfeiting, violence, and corruption; and seeks to understand the demand for counterfeit goods. He also discusses the role of Chinese authorities and other parties in the war against counterfeiting.

“Counterfeiting is a serious crime,” notes Chin. “Despite advances in security and detection, it continues to have far-reaching effects on economies, businesses, and people. Efforts to combat this crime must involve understanding how and why counterfeiters operate.”

Chin is also the coauthor of The Chinese Heroin Trade: Cross-Border Drug Trafficking inSoutheast Asia and Beyond and Selling Sex Overseas: Chinese Women and the Realities of Prostitution and Global Sex Trafficking. He is the author of The Golden Triangle: Inside Southeast Asia’s Drug Trade, and Smuggled Chinese: Clandestine Immigration to the United States.

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Summarized from the book, Counterfeited in China: The Operations of Illicit Businesses, by Chin, K-L (Rutgers University-Newark). Copyright 2025 Temple University Press. All rights reserved.

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About Rutgers School of Criminal Justice
Founded in 1974, Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) is a national leader in education, scholarship, and public engagement on issues surrounding crime, public safety, and social justice. SCJ prepares students to lead and innovate in criminal justice research, policy, and practice through rigorous interdisciplinary programs and a deep commitment to social impact. Located within Rutgers University-Newark, one of the country’s most civically engaged urban research universities, SCJ partners with communities, agencies, and policymakers to advance justice through evidence-based solutions. The school is consistently ranked among the top criminal justice doctoral programs in the nation. Learn more here.