A problem that wine and whisky has had for years has finally struck the bourbon collectors market, reports The New York Times.

The NYT says that bourbon in 2022 is a counterfeiter’s dream, shaped by enormous demand, limited supply and a steady inflow of new and naïve fans all too willing to part with their money — and unlikely to go to the authorities when they realised they’ve been swindled in a transaction that is by definition illegal.

“Part of the problem is the culture I see around bourbon, where it is about bragging rights and being able to Instagram a bottle you just bought,” Adam Herz, a whiskey collector in Los Angeles and an expert in counterfeit bottles, told the NYT. “Most people I see ending up with fakes are partly to blame themselves. Any good con man knows how to take advantage of someone’s greed.”

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, bourbon scammers are finding fertile ground. Luxury bourbon is now the hottest thing in whiskey. Domestic sales of super-premium American whiskey — bottles valued over $50 — nearly doubled from 2016 to 2020, to four million cases, compared with an average growth of 30 percent for all American whiskeys,

Part of the problem is the ease in buying empty bottles of expensive bourbon and other drinks. Distillers Journal found within minutes on Ebay and other internet sites empty bottles, caps, and labels.