On July 10, a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade informed that perfumes in particular and cosmetics in general are always in the group of key items included in the annual inspection plan by the Market Management Department.
In 2024 and the first 6 months of 2025, the Department inspected and handled 82 violations, temporarily detaining nearly 32,000 bottles of various perfumes with a total value of more than 3.2 billion VND. The total amount of fines exceeded 1.4 billion VND, of which 1 case showed signs of crime and was transferred to the investigation agency.
From practical inspection, the Department noted many difficulties in distinguishing between real and fake perfume due to increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting methods, from packaging, labels to scents. The appraisal work therefore requires close coordination from brands or brand representatives.
The profit from trading in fake or unknown perfumes is very large, due to low import prices. Although selling is much lower than real goods, the profit is still attractive enough for traders to accept the risk of being fined.
The origin of goods is also very complicated. Counterfeit goods can be produced domestically or smuggled through many different routes, making it difficult to trace. Many subjects sell not only at the store but also through social networks and e-commerce platforms, making control and handling more difficult.
At some stores, there are very few items on display, sometimes only real products, while counterfeit or unknown goods are hidden in other locations. This not only makes inspection difficult but also easily confuses consumers.
Notably, the lack of cooperation from consumers is also an obstacle. Many people, even though they know it is fake, still choose to buy it because of its cheap price, especially young people, students. Some cases of buying fake goods but not reporting or not providing enough information, making it difficult for the investigation and handling process.
From 2022 to present, the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department has inspected and handled 17 violations at Da Mau stores - which sell many famous branded products with prices much lower than the genuine price. Thereby, the authorities have temporarily detained more than 7,190 violating products worth nearly 4 billion VND, fined more than 600 million VND and transferred 6 cases with signs of crime to the investigation agency.
Of which, 1 case has been prosecuted, the remaining 5 cases are being investigated, including the Da Mau store at 212A Nguyen Trai, District 1 (old). According to regulations, enterprises are still allowed to do business if they have a valid license during the time when there is no investigation conclusion. The Department of Industry and Trade affirmed that it will continue to strengthen supervision and strictly handle acts of trading in counterfeit goods and infringing on intellectual property rights to protect consumer rights.
