Be careful with counterfeit goods with anti-counterfeit stamps of the Ministry of Public Security

The cost to print an anti-counterfeit stamp is from 200 to 400 VND, so criminals often use the anti-counterfeit stamp to stick on counterfeit goods.

Currently, in the market there are many functional units printing anti-counterfeit stamps to protect goods. However, the management of printing and issuing anti-counterfeit stamps still has many shortcomings.

Wine is the most easily counterfeited commodity (Illustration photo)

According to regulations, every business has the right to order anti-counterfeit stamps printed according to its own model, or order printing units of the Ministry of Public Security to protect its products.

Just search on the Internet and you will see countless printing companies offering to buy anti-counterfeit stamps. The cost to print an anti-counterfeit stamp is from 200 to 400 VND, much cheaper than counterfeiting a bottle of foreign wine, a pack of cigarettes... Therefore, criminals often print fake stamps, or use the anti-counterfeit stamps of authorized issuers to stick on counterfeit goods.

On December 7, the Investigation Police Agency, Dong Anh District Police, Hanoi, initiated a case and prosecuted Hoang Van Duc, born in 1987, for trading in counterfeit goods. This subject traded in fake toilet paper of the brand name of Tien Hieu Company Limited, in Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

The Institute of Criminal Science of the Ministry of Public Security has concluded that all the goods are not of the same type as the anti-counterfeit stamps, and the product packaging does not meet the declared quality. Lieutenant Hoang Tien Trung, Economic Police Team, Dong Anh District Police said: The subject said that all the counterfeit goods were affixed with fake stamps of the Ministry of Public Security.

This is a clear case where both the goods and the anti-counterfeit stamps are counterfeited. Because of the right to order anti-counterfeit stamps printed according to their own designs, there have been cases where businesses have stuck the wrong stamps on products that exceed the prescribed types. When being inspected, the business also gave the reason: This anti-counterfeit stamp was simply printed by the unit itself in order to distinguish it from other goods of the same type on the market to protect the legitimate rights of customers as well as its own.

Consumers are confused about what real and fake stamps look like.

The anti-counterfeit stamps that businesses print themselves do not need to register and declare, so businesses can stick them on their products or not. This is also a difficulty for the authorities when handling violations.

Lieutenant Colonel Kieu Huu Viet, Captain of Team 8, Economic Police Department, Hanoi City Police said: Due to current regulations, the unit has not yet been able to handle any criminal cases, and there are no statistics on counterfeit stamp violations.

The Market Management Force, Customs, Border Guard, Coast Guard, Police, and Taxation are tasked with fighting against counterfeit and fake goods, but the number of cases of handling violations of anti-counterfeit stamps can be counted on the fingers.

Mr. Le The Bao, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Protection, said: Currently, there are no statistics because many units are allowed to print anti-counterfeit stamps, the number of stamps printed and how many are used is unknown, and no unit is responsible for managing this issue.

Currently, the printing and management of anti-counterfeit stamps on the market still has many shortcomings. Domestic consumers are like facing a "matrix" when faced with fake and poor quality goods. Anti-counterfeit stamps are worth very little, only a few hundred dong, but the trust of consumers in anti-counterfeit stamps is priceless.

According to VOV