At this point in time, it's well known that amiibo have become a hot-ticket item amongst consumers worldwide. With a wide range of beloved characters being immortalized in plastic and interacting with a medley of different Nintendo games, it's not at all surprising to see that the scannable action figures have managed to ship over 10.5 million worldwide as of March 2015.

With any successful product though, there are sure to be people hoping to make a quick buck. Collectors of amiibo should be all too familiar with this philosophy and the scalpers that accompany it by this point, but now things have taken a very illegal turn in the form of counterfeit toys.

These faux amiibo have begun to pop up at various locations around the globe, and they are rather convincing knock-offs at a glance. As detailed in-depth by Nintendo Inquirer, there are several telling signs that separate the figures from the real McCoy. Some of the colors are off, the materials don't mesh as well, and they don't even scan into them game – so be cautious if you stumble upon any at a rundown gas station or the like.

The most telling sign, however, is that the packaging for each fake is entirely different than the sleek box designs found on Nintendo's legitimate product. Photos featuring fake Mario, Link, Pikachu, and Samus amiibo and their respective packages have all surfaced, so these toys should be easy to spot. The only bit of advice we can offer is that consumers tread cautiously when purchasing "opened" figures through an online source.

[gallery columns="2" link="file" ids="259043,259044,259045,259046"]

Nintendo still has massive plans for amiibo, with the fourth wave of its Super Smash Bros. line only just recently arriving on store shelves – albeit incredibly briefly in some instances. Yoshi's Woolly World, for example, will also have its very own scannable plush toys arriving alongside the game later this year, while the Big N only just announced a Chibi-Robo amiibo figure.

With more amiibo en route, an increasing amount of knock-offs are sure to continue popping up, so aftermarket buyers and unknowing consumers should be aware that such things exist as they go about finishing their collections. In the meantime, stay tuned to Game Rant for updates on any new amiibo-related announcements in the near future.

Are you surprised that counterfeit amiibo have begun popping up? Which amiibo do you still need to round out your collection?

Source: InfoAmiibo (via NintendoInquirer)