McGruff the Crime Dog® and his nephew Scruff® are here to make their 3D debut in a new public service campaign that is teaching a new generation how to Take A Bite Out Of Crime®. The iconic crime fighter is front and center in a new campaign aimed at protecting kids from the dangers of buying fake goods.

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), home of McGruff the Crime Dog, hopes to protect our kids by shining a light on the dangers associated with purchasing counterfeit products. NCPC’s goal is to raise public awareness among teens, tweens, and parents by bringing in law enforcement and other industry leaders.

NCPC and the United States Patent and Trademark Office® have joined forces to release this new Go For Real campaign PSA. In the PSA, a dupe “McGruff” makes an appearance and attempts to encourage a group of teens and tweens to buy cheap counterfeits. Scruff exposes the imposter Crime Dog while the genuine McGruff outlines the dangers inherent in fake products.

“Parents across the U.S. grew up with the iconic Crime Dog and now they want McGruff to help keep their kids safe,” said Paul DelPonte, Executive Director of NCPC. “This new public service campaign delivers an important message alerting people of all ages about the hazards caused by the widespread prevalence of fake products.”

“The sale of fake products is a vast global criminal enterprise,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO. “The USPTO is excited to team with this modernized McGruff to take a bite out of this 21st-century crime that puts the health and safety of millions at risk, jeopardizes American businesses and the millions of workers they employ, and threatens American competitiveness worldwide. Protecting legitimate brands is vital to ensuring a safe and stable economy – and we encourage all consumers to go “for real.”