Online sales events, like Black Friday, often attract scams, as illustrated by Loelia’s unfortunate experience with a counterfeit Yves Saint-Laurent bag. Customs officials emphasize the importance of identifying fraudulent items through poor packaging and suspicious smells. Counterfeit goods, which can be hazardous, are frequently linked to organized crime, and criminals may create fake e-commerce sites that steal personal information. To avoid scams, shoppers should carefully check website details and remain vigilant during online purchases.
Beware of Online Scams During Sales Events
What initially appeared to be an amazing bargain turned out to be a nightmare for Loelia. She shares her experience, stating, “Look, this is the Yves Saint-Laurent bag I purchased online, and it seemed legitimate at the time.” Acquiring the bag for just 400 euros—five times less than its retail price—Loelia thought she had struck gold. However, this enticing deal masked a fraudulent scheme. “I later discovered it was a counterfeit, and six other customers had also been duped by the same seller,” she laments. Despite filing a complaint and having the bag confiscated by authorities, she was left without a refund and filled with regret for not being more cautious.
Identifying Counterfeit Goods
One of the telltale signs of fraud lies in the packaging. This trend is particularly prevalent during sales events like Black Friday, which provides fertile ground for online scams. Customs officials remain vigilant throughout this chaotic promotional period, with an astonishing 180,000 packages processed daily at the sorting center in Fréjus, where our team observed operations. As explained by the head of the customs service, poor packaging can reveal the true origins of the products. For instance, a belt or sneakers that emit a strong glue smell are red flags for customs agents, who manage to seize over a hundred illegal items within an hour.
Some counterfeit items pose significant hazards, such as hair dryers. A customs officer noted a suspicious absence of an invoice for one such item, leading to a request for technical expertise from the legitimate brand. Unfortunately, tracing the origins of these counterfeit goods can be challenging, as they frequently come from countries like China, Turkey, or Morocco.
Once the packages reach the sorting center, they are distributed across the region with the primary aim of eliminating as many fraudulent products as possible. Pierre-Alain Naquet, divisional head of customs, emphasizes that the penalties for counterfeiting can be severe, including up to three years in prison and fines reaching 300,000 euros. In the previous year alone, French customs seized a staggering 20 million counterfeit items.
This illicit trade is often linked to organized crime syndicates. “We see a trend of polycriminality,” Naquet explains, highlighting how these organizations engage in various illegal activities, from counterfeiting to drug trafficking, driven by profit motives.
In some cases, criminals escalate their operations by creating mirror websites that resemble legitimate online shopping platforms. One such site perfectly mimicked a well-known equestrian goods retailer, complete with the same branding and graphics. These fraudulent sites often request sensitive information like codes, usernames, and bank details. Cybercrime expert Marion Roubaud warns, “Often, the products either never arrive or are counterfeit.” To safeguard against falling victim to such scams, it’s crucial to verify the spelling of the website and remain cautious of any suspicious details during your online shopping experience.