How to Spot Fake Products When Shopping for Gifts?

The value of fake goods violations increased by 23% in 2024, reaching 425 billion VND - but this is exactly when smart gift-givers need to master the "secrets" of how to spot fake products. A fake gift doesn't just hurt relationships; it can seriously damage your personal reputation.

From checking packaging and anti-fake stamps to using mobile apps like iCheck or scanning QR codes - these simple methods will help you confidently choose authentic gifts. But how do you apply them effectively to specific types of products?

Let's learn how to spot fake products with CHUS!

Fake products are flooding the market, making gift selection more challenging than ever

Why is it Important to Spot Fake Products When Gift-Giving?

The Alarming Reality of Fake Products in Vietnam

According to the General Department of Market Management's report, in 2024, market management forces nationwide inspected 68,280 cases of smuggling, fake goods, and commercial fraud, discovering and handling 47,135 violations. More worryingly, while the number of inspections decreased slightly, the value of violating goods still increased significantly.

The damage from fake products isn't just financial - it affects consumer trust and brand reputation, according to industry experts. This is especially important when you're giving gifts, as consumers who encounter fake products often feel confused and hesitant about shopping. Mastering how to spot fake products will help you avoid unnecessary risks.

E-commerce is growing rapidly but also creates opportunities for fake products

Impact from the E-commerce Boom

According to Vietnam's E-commerce Index Report 2024, the country's e-commerce sector continues to grow strongly with over 25% growth rate, reaching over $25 billion in scale. However, with increasingly sophisticated methods and tactics, most sellers don't have warehouses or physical stores - they only accept online orders and distribute goods from various locations.

Scientific research has shown that trust is a decisive factor in consumer purchasing behavior, and when consumers have strong confidence in online shopping, their attitude toward online shopping becomes more positive. Therefore, knowing how to spot fake products in e-commerce environments becomes an essential skill for everyone.

Consumer trust is the key factor in e-commerce

How to Spot Fake Products - Common Signs of Fake Products

Check Packaging and Printing

Authentic product packaging usually has clear printing quality, bright colors, and no smudging. In contrast, fake products often have poor color standards, unclear text, and sometimes errors or peeling. This is the simplest method to spot fake products at first glance.

For specialty gifts like coffee, tea, and food products, pay attention to:

• Labels with complete information: product name, production address, manufacturing date, expiry date
• Printing quality on packaging that isn't blurred or unclear
• Logo and brand information that's carefully designed and consistent

Checking packaging and printing - the simplest way to spot fake products

Check Sensory Quality of Specialty Products

For Coffee

• Real coffee has a distinctive aroma without strange smells
• Coffee beans are uniform in size and color
• When brewed, real coffee has a natural crema layer and isn't cloudy

For Tea

• Real tea leaves have natural colors, not too dark or too light
• Distinctive aroma of each tea type (green tea, oolong tea, lotus tea...)
• When brewed, tea water is clear with naturally rich flavor

For Handicrafts

• Real materials are durable and don't peel easily
• Carving lines are intricate, not rough
• Natural colors that don't fade or smear when touched by water

From coffee to handicrafts, each product has its own "signature" for identification

Identifying Regional Specialties

Understanding how to spot fake products by region will help you choose authentic specialty gifts with true local character.

Northern Vietnam Specialties

• Thai Nguyen Tea: small leaves, dark green, rich flavor
• Sapa Arabica Coffee: large beans, light aroma, less bitter
• Highland Honey: clear yellow color, doesn't crystallize too quickly
• Hai Duong Green Bean Cake: thin crust, pure green bean filling
• Thanh Hoa Fermented Pork: natural sourness, firm meat

Central Vietnam Specialties

• Buon Ma Thuot Coffee: large beans, strong aroma, rich taste
• Da Lat Artichoke Tea: distinctive taste, slightly bitter
• Central Highland Can Wine: clear, natural alcohol content
• Phan Thiet Dried Shrimp: natural orange-red color, firm meat
• Hue Shrimp Paste: distinctive smell, purple-pink color
• Tay Ninh Grilled Rice Paper: crispy, fragrant, not too dry

Southern Vietnam Specialties

• Robusta Coffee: small beans, rich taste, high caffeine content
• Dong Thap Lotus Tea: light fragrance, natural lotus scent
• Ca Mau Fermented Anchovy Paste: distinctive smell, reddish-brown color
• Ben Tre Coconut Candy: soft, naturally sweet, not too hard
• Soc Trang Pork Pie: thin crust, smooth green bean filling
• U Minh Forest Honey: thick consistency, light aroma of forest flowers
• Ca Mau Dried Shrimp: large, firm meat, natural orange color

Regional specialties - knowing how to spot fake products helps you choose authentic gifts

Effective Methods to Check Authentic vs Fake Products

Mobile Apps for Verification

Apps like iCheck, Barcode Việt, Smartcheck, Qrcode, Zalo app, and Barcode scanner are popular anti-fake software that customers use to scan QR codes and trace product origins.

iCheck provides users with lots of useful product information including: continuous price updates, manufacturer information, production address, contact phone number, and reviews from other users about the product. This is currently the fastest and most accurate way to spot fake products.

Check Anti-fake Stamps and Modern Technology

To check hologram stamps, simply hold the product with the stamp and change your viewing angle left, right, up, and down. If you can read different information at each angle, this proves it's a genuine stamp.

For QR code stamps, each QR Code stamp is created with a unique code that cannot be copied or counterfeited, effectively helping to distinguish real from fake products. However, be careful as scammers may copy QR codes and print them on fake products, making consumers think they're real when scanning the QR code.

QR code technology and mobile apps - valuable "assistants" for smart consumers

Types of Products Commonly Counterfeited as Gifts

Food and Specialties

QR Code stamps are widely used in many different industries due to customers' increasing need for information traceability, especially effective for easily counterfeited goods like: Food, medicine, functional foods, beverages, milk, and spices.

Coffee and Tea

• Fake Buon Ma Thuot Coffee: mixed with low-quality beans, sometimes even roasted soybeans
• Fake Thai Nguyen Tea: mixed regular tea leaves with other plant leaves
• Fake Civet Coffee: regular coffee with synthetic flavoring

Regional Specialties

• Fake honey: mixed with syrup, sugar, water
• Fake fish sauce: diluted, with artificial coloring added
• Fake traditional wine: industrial alcohol mixed with flavoring

Food and specialties - popular gifts but prone to counterfeiting

Functional Foods and Milk

The Ministry of Public Security announced a list of 84 milk products seized in the fake milk production ring at Rance Pharma International Joint Stock Company and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company. This case shows the serious level and large scale of the fake goods problem in this sector. Consumers need to be very careful and apply methods to spot fake products when choosing these items as gifts.

Handicrafts and Souvenirs

Ceramics and Wood

• Fake Bat Trang ceramics: using low-quality clay, unsafe glazes
• Fake wooden handicrafts: replacing precious wood with ordinary wood, fake color coating
• Fake lacquer paintings: using chemical paints instead of traditional lacquer

Textiles and Clothing

• Fake traditional Ao Dai: poor quality fabric, rough stitching
• Fake Van Phuc silk: using synthetic fibers instead of real silk
• Fake brocade: machine printing instead of traditional hand weaving

Handicrafts and souvenirs - preserving Vietnamese cultural essence from fake products

Jewelry and Accessories

Gold, Silver and Gemstones

• Fake gold jewelry: gold plating on ordinary metals
• Fake 925 silver: alloy with low silver content
• Fake gemstones: colored glass or plastic

Watches and Accessories

• Fake watches: Chinese mechanisms with fake brand labels
• Fake leather bags: synthetic leather with copied famous brand logos
• Fake silk scarves: polyester instead of real silk

Jewelry and accessories - "classy" gifts requiring careful selection

Electronics and Technology

Tech Accessories

• Fake brand headphones: poor sound quality, easily broken
• Fake power banks: actual capacity lower than labeled
• Fake charging cables: fire hazard, don't protect devices

Home Appliances

• Fake rice cookers: poor quality heating element
• Fake blenders: weak motor, easily broken
• Fake electric kettles: materials not food-safe

Electronics and technology - convenience comes with risks if you don't know how to choose

Safe Shopping Places to Avoid Fake Products

Online Shopping Trends

Nowadays, consumers are shifting heavily to online shopping due to convenience. But this is also an opportunity for fake product sellers to operate due to anonymity. This is especially true as Vietnam's e-commerce market is witnessing fierce competition between e-commerce platforms.

Choose Reputable E-commerce Platforms

To ensure safety when buying gifts online, you should prioritize platforms with strict quality control policies. Especially, platforms specializing in handicrafts and personalized gifts like CHUS have built thorough screening systems with expert teams evaluating Vietnamese handicraft products.

CHUS particularly focuses on verifying origins from artisans and traditional craft villages, ensuring each product has a clear story and origin. This helps buyers feel more confident when choosing gifts with strong Vietnamese cultural identity without worrying about how to spot fake products.

Choose reputable platforms - the first step to quality gifts

Notes for Online Shopping

In the first 8 months of 2024, the E-commerce and Digital Economy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade transferred information about over 500 websites and apps with signs of violations to police authorities. This is an alarming number about violations in the online environment.

When shopping online, pay attention to:

• Check reviews and feedback from previous buyers
• Consider the platform's warranty and return policies
• Avoid products with prices too cheap compared to market rates
• Prioritize shops with certification or "Authentic" labels from the platform

Future Trends in Anti-fake Efforts

Vietnam aims that by 2025, 90% of distribution facilities will no longer publicly sell fake goods in supermarkets and shopping centers. This is an ambitious but necessary goal to create a healthy shopping environment.

In 2025, the General Department of Market Management continues to maintain and upgrade the administrative violation penalty system (INS), applying artificial intelligence (AI) to the system. This shows the authorities' determination to use modern technology in fighting fake products.

AI technology and modern systems - a bright future in the fight against fake products

Conclusion

Choosing authentic gifts not only shows sincere care but also protects personal reputation. With fake products becoming increasingly sophisticated and violation values increasing 23% in 2024, applying the effective methods we've shared becomes more urgent than ever.

When every consumer is conscious about choosing authentic products, we not only protect ourselves but also contribute to building a healthy market for high-quality Vietnamese goods.

This isn't just smart shopping - it's a way to show responsibility to the community through each gift choice. Mastering how to spot fake products will help you always feel confident when giving gifts, while contributing to creating a clean market.

Are you ready to join CHUS in choosing authentic, reputable gifts?

Discover our amazing collection of unique gifts at CHUS now!

FAQs

• How to identify authentic anti-counterfeiting labels?
  To verify anti-counterfeiting labels, you need to understand what constitutes a legitimate anti-counterfeiting label. This type of label must meet two criteria: Anti-counterfeiting labels must be managed by state agencies, specifically currently managed and controlled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
• Which app is best for checking barcodes?
  Barcode Vietnam provides more comprehensive data storage for Vietnamese products compared to imported products. For foreign products, QR Barcode Scanner TeaCapps is currently the top choice.
• Should I buy gifts on e-commerce platforms?
  Absolutely possible, but be cautious. The number of e-commerce violations processed increased 2.4 times, and fines increased nearly 3 times compared to the same period in 2023. This shows that violations are increasing in the online environment.
• What should I do if I'm unsure about authenticity?
  To ensure quality, purchase cosmetics from stores authorized by the brand. Avoid unclear sources to protect health and product effectiveness.
• Can QR code labels be counterfeited?
  In some cases, counterfeit goods have fake QR codes pasted over real labels or fake QR labels made with advanced printing techniques. Therefore, authentication results must include complete information: product name, manufacturer, images, production date, serial number (if any).