I play MTG competitively, and if you actually believe this is a thing I'm afraid you have no idea what you are talking about. No competitive game has ever, at any point, worked that way.
From a gameplay perspective, the problem is exactly what your parent said: counterfeit product cannot be used in a sanctioned tournament. Which means most MTG organized play, since even very small in-store tournaments are usually sanctioned events.
Never mind things like a black lotus which is over powered but still legal due to rarity.