In November, Harper Reed, an entrepreneur in residence at Paypal and the former chief technology officer at Obama for America, tweeted that he had purchased a suitcase on Amazon by Rimowa, a high-end luggage brand whose full-size styles typically retail upwards of $700. The suitcase was full-price, he wrote, and there weren’t any red flags on the listing that would have alerted him to a potentially sketchy product. The order never arrived, however, and heIn November, Harper Reed, an entrepreneur in residence at Paypal and the former chief technology officer at Obama for America, tweeted that he had purchased a suitcase on Amazon by Rimowa, a high-end luggage brand whose full-size styles typically retail upwards of $700. The suitcase was full-price, he wrote, and there weren’t any red flags on the listing that would have alerted him to a potentially sketchy product. The order never arrived, however, and he got a refund from Amazon and went to Neiman Marcus to buy it in person.

Fast-forward to Reed’s renewal interview for Global Entry, a CBP Trusted Traveler program that expedites the airport security process for “pre-approved, low-risk travelers.” For frequent international flyers, it can be the difference between spending hours waiting in line to have your passport inspected by a customs agent or breezing through a kiosk check in 15 minutes. Except this time, he said, his application was denied. His name had been flagged by CBP for importing counterfeit goods — specifically, a Rimowa suitcase.