Shocked by the sophisticated fake goods like the real ones

Counterfeit goods today are no longer clumsy imitations with crude designs and sketchy packaging like before, but are "transformed" so sophisticatedly that they can fool even connoisseurs.

Smuggled, poor quality food seized by authorities - Photo: Market Management

From labels, packaging, colors, QR codes to certificates, everything is counterfeited to the point of being difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.

A series of smuggling, counterfeit and fake goods rings have been dismantled following the Prime Minister 's directive, but the "mixed gold and brass" market still makes many consumers confused and lose confidence.

Consumers choose to "turn away"

Admitting to being a meticulous consumer, Ms. Kim Ngan (24 years old, residing in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City) said that in the past, she did not only rely on the brand's commitment when buying products, but also carefully read consumer reviews before buying the product.

In particular, Ms. Ngan has placed a lot of trust in suggestions and reviews from long-standing, reputable KOLs and KOCs. However, recently, that trust has gradually wavered as a series of incidents involving false advertising, counterfeit goods, and goods of unknown origin have occurred.

"Every day there is news about exposing and investigating celebrities and consumers, but it's just up and down," Ms. Ngan shared.

Sharing the same anxiety, Ms. Kim Chung (33 years old, living in Thu Duc City) said that for the past month she has continuously felt uneasy when reading news about fake cosmetics and food production lines being dismantled.

The information that haunted her the most was the report about the counterfeiting of the S rice brand that her family had trusted for many years.

"I was horrified when I saw the image of the rice bag in the report that looked exactly like the bag of rice I was using. People say this fake rice has been smuggled into many markets, even supermarkets. I couldn't help but wonder if I had ever eaten fake rice?", she shared.

According to Ms. Chung, consumers like her used to only put their trust in packaging, QR codes, the words "genuine" or the familiar face of a KOL. But now even those things have become vague and are no longer a support.

In 2024, the counterfeit rate in the handbag and sports shoe segment decreased only slightly from 8.9% to 8.4%, remaining almost unchanged in terms of volume.

"Death" because of fake goods, dumped hand-carried goods

The widespread availability of counterfeit, fake and hand-carried goods not only confuses consumers but also puts many genuine business owners and enterprises in a difficult position, when they have to compete on price with products that evade taxes, have unknown origins and are of uncertain quality.

Having been in the drug selling business for more than 10 years in a small alley on Le Van Sy Street (District 3), Mr. Minh Hung (55 years old) said that the biggest pressure now is to strictly control the source of goods, especially functional foods, which are high-value items and are being counterfeited sophisticatedly.

"The market is now complicated, and it's hard for an old person like me to differentiate everything. The risk of being mixed with products of unknown origin is something that worries me a lot," Mr. Hung shared. According to him, many small pharmacies like his are still operating on personal reputation, taking the trust of regular customers as a foundation.

The director of a cosmetics supermarket chain in Ho Chi Minh City said that the situation of hand-carried goods and counterfeit goods "dumping prices" has made many consumers skeptical about the difference between genuine products and cheap floating goods. Businesses often have to explain to customers why goods in supermarkets are more expensive than hand-carried goods and goods of unknown origin on online markets.

According to this person, smuggled goods, hand-carried goods of unknown origin and especially counterfeit goods can be sold at much lower prices because they are not subject to tax and do not undergo quality inspection. This not only causes damage to the state budget, but also distorts the competitive environment.

The cosmetics director of a supermarket chain in Ho Chi Minh City said counterfeit goods persist for several key reasons.

One is that sellers disregard business ethics for profit. Two is that the management agency is not strict enough, sanctions are not strong enough to deter, and finally, a segment of consumers are still easygoing, placing more emphasis on cheap prices than on the origin and quality of the product. Even many KOLs, KOCs, and even big brands have been discovered to be complicit in this behavior.

Food industry struggling amid "storm" of unverified advertising

According to Ms. Ly Kim Chi - President of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association, the food industry is experiencing unprecedented media pressure, as fake news and false advertising continuously appear, causing public confusion and eroding consumer confidence.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dao, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Advertising Association, said that misleading advertisements, unverified statements by KOLs/KOCs, and fake news from anonymous accounts are all creating a serious chain effect, affecting the brands of legitimate businesses and the image of national brands.

"This is not just a communication crisis about product quality, but a crisis of trust. If businesses are not transparent and do not respond promptly, they will easily be submerged," Mr. Dao warned.

NHAT XUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/choang-vi-hang-gia-tinh-vi-nhu-hang-that-20250621224702779.htm