Eskimo Joe's warns of fake merch this holiday season

STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) — As you chip away at your holiday shopping list, beware of counterfeit items. Beloved Oklahoma brands are constantly in battle with fakes, including Eskimo Joe's.

Holiday shoppers bought shirts, sweats, and everything else at the iconic Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater.

During their 50 years in business, the fight against fake merchandise has been a constant struggle.

"We've caught several unscrupulous actors," said Stan Clark, the CEO of Eskimo Joe's. "But, seems to be really ramping up right now."

Clark said Friday morning, loyal customers received an email in their inboxes, warning of counterfeit clothing.

"They actually charge more!" said Clark, talking about the scammers. "We just don't want our guest to be burned."

Eskimo Joe's has an eye out for copycats. Officials are constantly sending out notices that they've been caught. However, it's a constant game of whack-a-mole; the product will come down, only to pop up on a different website.

For that, Eskimo Joe's has a game-winning strategy of their own.

"We'll buy a bunch of the product and we'll dispute the credit card charge," said Clark. "At least we sting them just a little bit!"

Eskimo Joe's President, John Killam, showed News 4 some counterfeit clothing. Killam can spot a fake at a glance.

"Here we have the original art. We've got it in a format that gives it the best detail," said Killam, while pointing to pressed-on images on a shirt. "Here they're just pulling an image or a jpeg off of a website."

"This is supposed to be an OSU co-branded design. Well, we're going to make the orange be the OSU orange," said Killam, while comparing a brown colored orange on a shirt.

If you're looking for something with Joe, or his furry friend Buffy on it, remember the real deal can only be found at their retail stores or on their website.

Eskimo Joe's retail stores can be found at Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa, Enid's Willow Plaza, OKC's Quail Springs Mall, and the Shawnee Mall.