Buyers, be warned. It turns out Alibaba isn't the only place on the Internet selling fake designer products. A report by Bloomberg recently confirmed what we've all suspected for years.
Two cyber-security experts from Italy did some digging and found that nearly a quarter of the ads for luxury goods on Facebook are for counterfeit products. The ads, some of which hawk Ray-Bans for less than $30 (and yes, they're definitely too good to be true), actually take unsuspecting users to faux websites registered by Chinese front companies.
1.
While it's pretty easy spotting one of these listings, sometimes they can be quite believable, according to Bloomberg:
Websites that sell counterfeit goods often look very similar to the real thing. For example, a rather convincing knockoff Ray-Ban storefront includes the brand name in the Web address, designs and logos resembling Ray-Ban.com, and information about nonexistent warranties, according to the researchers.
In any case, Facebook is working on the issue, reportedly going to great lengths to hunt down these bogus ads. "We prohibit fraudulent or misleading claims or content ... we have invested significant resources in developing a robust advertising review program that includes both automated and manual review of ads," a spokesperson for Facebook said.
Out in the real world, authorities have been busy laying down the law too. Just last month, the Bureau of Customs seized nearly $22 million worth of fake products.
[via The Cut]
