Proving that no holiday is sacred, The Register is reporting today on not one but two scams involving fake products to be on the lookout for this shopping season. Graphics card vendor HIS sent out an alert that, despite reports to the contrary, the company has not ventured into the netbooks market.

HIS marketing chief Peter Yeung told The Register in no uncertain terms that "HIS has no plan for netbook products" and promised "swift legal action" against whomever is behind the counterfeit devices.

In similar news, British customs agents seized hundreds of allegedly counterfeit Nintendo DS and DS Lite handheld video games. Nintendo representatives say they are also aware of fake DSi and Wii gaming consoles also appearing on the open market.

A company spokesperson says an unusually low price should be the first tip-off you're probably looking at a counterfeit product. "If you're getting the console for less than £70 there's probably something wrong with it. Also, genuine Nintendo products come sealed in a single box. The fakes come in a badly packed box with the power adapter supplied separately."

Fake computer hardware is, unfortunately, nothing new. In 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized over 200 shipments of counterfeit computers and accessories with a reported value of more than $4 million.

The bottom line to these Grinchly news stories is that if you're considering equipping your employees with new netbooks or handing out game systems as holiday bonuses, then caveat emptor.