Japanese brands warn against fakes spreading at home and abroad

Counterfeits often promoted through fake social media ads or limited-time-period sales

- Walter Sim

Japanese brands from Canon to Meiji are warning consumers at home and abroad to be vigilant against fakes, amid a proliferation of counterfeits that masquerade as the real thing through social media advertisements or major e-commerce platforms.

These are often, but not always, promoted through fake social media ads that tout too-good-to-be-true prices or limited-time-period sales that link to a fake website when a buyer clicks through. Alternatively, some merchants have taken advantage of the loose checks provided on e-commerce platforms to sell fake goods.

If the price seems too good to be true, they may well be, said companies, with many warning of the health risks that come with using or consuming phoney products that, while being a scourge for long, have grown in sophistication.

Once the purview of fashion, counterfeits have now surfaced in an ever-widening range of industries and products - from chocolates to health and water purification devices - over the past year. While their origins have been difficult to trace, Japanese authorities note that they are mostly made and sold by Chinese or South-east Asian syndicates.

The problem is so widespread that counterfeit Japanese goods have surfaced in other Asian markets. The Japan External Trade Organisation entered into an agreement on Dec 20 with Vietnam's enforcement agencies to identify and crack down on counterfeit Japanese goods that are being made in the country, or to stop their imports at customs.

These inter-governmental efforts supplement the efforts by individual companies to warn consumers against the purchase of fake goods through circulars on their websites.