Intention to Purchase Counterfeit Products: The Impact of Unethical Beliefs, Social Status and Perceived Risk

Counterfeiting has become an economic problem as an increasing number of goods are being illegally produced. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating counterfeiting in the Arab World. This study uses a five-point Likert scale to examine the impact of moral beliefs, social status and perceived risk on the intention to purchase counterfeits of luxury brands in the Arab Gulf (n = 448). Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis. Results show that consumers’ unethical beliefs and perceived risk have a negative, while status consumption has a positive, impact on the intention to purchase counterfeit products. Additionally, users’ demographic measures, such as religiosity, cultural background and socioeconomic status, do not have a significant impact on the intent to purchase counterfeit products. This study provides a new theoretical foundation for studying the purchase of counterfeit products in a non-Western culture, and also provides companies with a number of factors that might help in discouraging counterfeit product consumption