Recently, the situation of buying and selling gold by hand has been bustling in front of gold shops and even on the internet. Many people choose to trade this way because they want to have a better price than the market and save trading time.
However, this is also an opportunity for scammers to take advantage, launch fake gold, poor quality gold or use brand fake tricks to make illegal profits.
On social networks such as Facebook, Zalo, Telegram, gold trading is flourishing due to its convenience and attractive prices.
Some individuals are selling gold with the reason of needing to sell it urgently, "pass it" at a cheaper price than the market, creating a psychology of cheap preference for buyers. However, there are many cases where when receiving goods, fake gold, mixed gold or not in accordance with the committed weight are discovered.
Not only selling gold online, a series of fanpages and websites impersonating famous brands also appeared. These pages often illegally use product logos and images to scam customers. Many people fall into the trap because they mistakenly think they are a big brand and lose money.
Not only happening on cyberspace, the situation of gold transactions right at the doorstep of large gold shops has also become a worrying issue. According to Lao Dong reporters, some people stood outside to invite customers to buy and sell gold at different prices to make a profit.
These out-of-flow transactions have many potential risks because buyers cannot verify the origin of gold, do not have guaranteed documents and are likely to encounter counterfeit gold and mixed gold. Some cases were also subject to poor quality gold exchange when trading hastily right on the sidewalk.
Ms. Luu Ut Hang - owner of a jewelry store (Truc Ninh district, Nam Dinh) said: " buying and selling gold online is an opportunity for criminals to take advantage.
Those who lack experience in gold testing will easily be scammed and lose money. At my shop, there were customers who were shocked when selling gold and only learned that they had bought fake gold when hand-to-hand trading. Therefore, when buying gold, I often check by cutting the gold siding to verify the quality inside" - Ms. Hang said.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter, Bao Tin Minh Chau representative said: "Recently, there has been a situation where some subjects have forged Bao Tin Minh Chau's gold and then floated it on social networks. Many cases have recorded customers buying fake plain round gold rings of Thang Long Dragon at a price about 70,000 VND/tael lower than the market price.
When brought to the gold shop for inspection, buyers discovered that the product had sophisticatedly counterfeit lining and gold material that did not meet standards. At this time, the seller had blocked contact and denied responsibility".
Faced with the above situation, Bao Tin Minh Chau recommends that customers should buy gold at official business establishments with full certificates and valid documents:
With the Bao Tin Minh Chau brand, customers can transact at official addresses such as 15 - 29 Tran Nhan Tong or 139 Cau Giay, Hanoi. When buying gold online, you need to carefully check websites and fanpages with authentic blueprints to avoid falling into the trap of scammers" - this person said.
Economic expert Dinh Trong Thinh (Financial Academy) said that gold bar trading must have a license from the authorities. If traded on unofficial channels, buyers will not only face the risk of losing money but may also violate the law.
At a time when the gold market is fluctuating strongly, trading demand is increasing, hand-to-hand trading, without invoices or documents has too many potential risks. Be vigilant and choose a safe transaction channel is the best way to protect your assets and rights.
