E-commerce fraud in Nghe An is increasingly sophisticated
E-commerce in Nghe An has developed strongly, causing many people to take advantage of it to commit fraud, trade in counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, affecting consumer rights and causing tax losses.
Detect many "underground" websites
Online business is becoming more and more popular, however, the downside shows many complicated developments. Recently, Nghe An authorities have discovered and punished many websites selling products in violation.
Typically, on April 2, 2024, Market Management Team No. 3 issued a Decision to impose an administrative penalty of VND 30 million on AC Food Joint Stock Company located in Nghi Phu Commune, Vinh City (Nghe An) for the violation of not notifying the e-commerce website selling goods to the management agency.
Then, on April 3, 2024, Market Management Team No. 5 imposed an administrative fine of VND 20 million on HM Company Limited, owned by Ms. Nguyen Thi H., located in Lam Son Commune, Do Luong District. At the time of inspection, HM Company Limited was operating an e-commerce website with an online shopping cart function, posting and advertising shampoo and cosmetic products.
Another case is the violation of AC Food Joint Stock Company, of which Ms. PTTH is the Director and representative. The inspection team discovered that the company's website is currently operating and trading in the food and cereal sector. The website has a shopping cart and online ordering without fulfilling the obligation to notify the Ministry of Industry and Trade of e-commerce websites as prescribed.
At the same time, the Inspection Team also discovered that the e-commerce website of AC Food Joint Stock Company had not fulfilled its obligation to notify the Ministry of Industry and Trade as prescribed. Ms. H - Director of the company admitted the violation and committed to correct it as soon as possible.
Mr. Bui Van Chung - Captain of Market Management Team No. 3 added: In the past time, the Team has deployed and performed well the basic investigation work, grasped the situation of production and business establishments, and market developments. At the same time, coordinated with monitoring forces, grasped information, tracked down lines, groups, warehouses gathering goods to offer goods, sell online, livestream via social networks Facebook, TikTok, YouTube...
In the first 6 months of the year, the team handled 10 violations related to organizations and individuals trading in counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, and smuggled goods via social networks Facebook, Zalo, and Tiktok, with a total fine of more than 240 million VND.
According to the report of the Market Management Department, from the beginning of 2024 to now, the Market Management Department has coordinated with other forces to handle 27 cases related to e-commerce activities, imposing administrative fines of over 509 million VND. Mainly violations, trading in counterfeit goods, trading in goods that infringe intellectual property rights on the Internet environment.
Complex developments
According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nghe An is the province with the 14th fastest e-commerce growth rate out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. The whole province has 534 sales websites, 4 trading floors and 2 mobile applications of organizations and individuals that have notified and registered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
However, there are difficulties in preventing and combating fraud in the e-commerce environment. Violators have high technology, sophisticated tricks, and often change methods to commit violations. They use social networks such as Facebook and Zalo to sell goods, and their locations are often apartment buildings and private homes to carry out sales activities, receive orders, and close orders, making them difficult to detect and check.
The transportation of goods is carried out through a third-party shipping unit, payment activities are carried out through non-cash payment methods, e-wallets or COD shipping, making it difficult to access, detect and handle violations. E-commerce websites selling goods using international domain names such as .com, .net, .org… are still unclear about the owner information, created and closed in a short time.
In addition, violators often create multiple accounts on e-commerce platforms or social networks, sell products via livestream, use multiple groups on social networks to monitor or comment on products that are not true to their nature, and even close fake orders to deceive consumers.
The management equipment system of the sectors for e-commerce activities and business on digital platforms is not yet synchronized. The implementation of electronic identification, authentication and synchronization of population data with tax, banking and telecommunications data is still slow, leading to difficulties in identifying and authenticating individuals and organizations with e-commerce activities and business on digital platforms.
Researching the reality on cyberspace, it can be seen that through websites, subjects often advertise, introduce, provide false information about products, offer to sell products of unknown origin, goods without invoices. The most popular items sold are clothes, shoes, cosmetics, phones, watches, ornamental plants, functional foods, etc.
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Many items are livestreamed on Facebook at low prices. These points of sale often do not introduce the business address, customers make orders directly or through private messaging. Some subjects also use e-commerce platforms and social networks to publicly advertise fake document services; attract people to participate in financial investment, foreign exchange investment with promises of high interest rates, large profits...
Tighten management
Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong - Deputy Director of Nghe An Market Management Department said: To prevent and stop violations of e-commerce, Nghe An Market Management Department has implemented many solutions such as sending leaders of teams, departments, controllers, and specialists of the Market Management Department to participate in professional training courses on distinguishing genuine and fake goods...; assigning controllers with information technology qualifications to perform the task of searching, monitoring, evaluating, and listing organizations and individuals operating e-commerce in the area.
Along with that, track interactions, number of products posted for sale, best-selling products, favorite shops, delivery rate, customer feedback, estimate scale and revenue to come up with appropriate testing plans.
The Tax Department also coordinates with related sectors such as the Police, Customs, Tax Department, Border Guard ... to strengthen inspection, detection and handling of violations in e-commerce activities for businesses, business households and individuals who do not declare and pay taxes according to regulations. In particular, it strengthens inspection and examination of livestream sales activities.
Promote propaganda, dissemination, and guidance for enterprises, production and business establishments to raise awareness of law compliance and consumer protection in cyberspace; including strengthening warnings and guidance for consumers through e-commerce.
The representative of Nghe An Tax Department added: Credit institutions need to be responsible for coordinating the provision of payment information of organizations and individuals with e-commerce activities and business on digital platforms at the request of tax authorities. Online sales units are required to register, publicly disclose, honestly and promptly declare identification information, origin, product quality, information related to revenue, and tax obligations arising with competent authorities.
According to experts, to prevent commercial fraud in the e-commerce environment, authorities must tighten licensing activities for online platforms and stores. From there, control the quality of goods to protect the rights of consumers and businesses as well as build a healthy e-commerce environment.
On the consumer side, when trading goods on e-commerce, you should choose reputable businesses and trading floors. Purchases must have documents and invoices.
However, in the coming time, according to forecasts, violations in e-commerce activities will have many new, more sophisticated and complicated methods and tricks. If we only stop at administrative sanctions, the current light level of punishment is not enough to deter and prevent.
