Europol has published a new EU-SOCTA (Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment) report, which provides an overview of the threats posed by serious and organized crime in the EU, including an insight into new trends and tactics used by criminal networks.
According to the report, criminal networks continue to benefit from the sustained demand for low-cost goods, including counterfeit goods, which Europol attributes to the current cost-of-living crisis, the shift of marketing and distribution of counterfeit goods to the online universe and consumers' lack of awareness of the dangers posed by counterfeits.
The report concludes that all types of IP crime and trafficking of substandard goods have a broad range of negative implications, including serious health and safety hazards for consumers, significant loss of profits for businesses and tax revenues for governments as well as environmental risks. According to the report, there is a growing concern about the trade in counterfeit and illicit pesticides and automotive parts, including airbags.
Europol also emphasizes that there is a trend of increased use of social commerce, including influencers, to attract consumers and that criminals are using legitimate structures to hide and facilitate criminal activities. According to the report, the misuse of AI and 3D printing is also expected to increase in the future as they can enhance counterfeiting techniques, reduce the risk of human error and facilitate the automated production of counterfeit goods.
The report can be found here.