Nghệ An: Bán thực phẩm chức năng giá cao dưới vỏ bọc 'làm từ thiện'

From the lowlands…

Recently, in the rural areas of Nghi Loc district, a group of people in luxurious clothes sneaked into cultural houses to take advantage of consulting and introducing products to sell functional foods to people at very high prices. To attract people to the consulting sessions, this group also sent invitations directly to each household, most of whom were members of the elderly association. The invitation stated that this was a program of "exchange, gift giving and health care". All those who came to participate received gifts worth 120,000 VND. Therefore, these consulting sessions attracted a large number of people to attend.

Send invitations to people to attract them to attend the product introduction program. Photo: Tuyen Tran

One day at the end of March, at the Tho Son hamlet cultural house (Nghi Van commune, Nghi Loc district), two people introduced themselves as employees of Asia International Production & Trading Company Limited. After a large number of people showed up, these people continuously showed videos, pictures, and explained the "miraculous effects" of the product. Most of the products had exaggerated effects with strong claims of "curing diseases", causing many people to misunderstand that this was medicine.

Meanwhile, according to the reporter's investigation, this company is located in a remote rural area at Group 4, Bung Co Hamlet, Loc An Commune, Long Thanh District, Dong Nai. This company was only licensed to operate a year ago, and sells functional foods and micronutrient supplements. However, the company's employees advertise "functional foods that have the effect of medicine". According to current regulations, this is a prohibited act.

The man continuously advertises the miraculous effects of functional foods. Photo: Tuyen Tran

Sharing with reporters, Ms. Tran Thi C. (72 years old, Nghi Van commune), said that until now she still regrets the money she saved to buy these products. After hearing the advertisement, she decided to spend 1.5 million VND to buy 3 boxes of "SURE PRO supplement". "When we bought these 3 boxes for 1.5 million VND, they gave us 3 more boxes and 1 bottle of massage essential oil, and promised to return after 20 days to refund the entire amount of 1.5 million VND that I bought. But after waiting for a long time, more than a month has passed and they still haven't come back. I don't dare to open these boxes to drink because my children and grandchildren advised me not to," Ms. C. said. After accessing the functional food products that people bought, reporters scanned the barcode printed on the products, as well as searched online, but all received the result that this product could not be found.

Not only in Nghi Van, all 33/33 communes and towns of Nghi Loc district were visited by this group and took advantage of the gift giving program to sell products.

Mr. Phan Cong Van - Chairman of Nghi Van Commune People's Committee said that after receiving feedback from the people, the government requested to immediately stop organizing the consulting and product introduction seminar of Asia Company Limited.

According to the reporter's investigation, almost immediately after being established in Dong Nai, Asia International Production & Trading Company Limited sent a document requesting permission to organize a consultation and product introduction seminar to the Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department. The Department then responded with a document stating that these products were eligible for circulation on the market, and at the same time requested the company to directly contact the local authorities where the event was held and comply with the provisions of the Advertising Law.

Although the company was only allowed to organize a consulting seminar and introduce products, it later enticed people to buy the products. According to regulations, units are allowed to introduce products but not to sell them, because it takes time for people to learn about the products.

People buy functional food boxes at high prices. Photo: TH

…upstream

Not only causing chaos in the lowland countryside, the group of people specializing in selling functional foods also went to remote areas of Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts to sell products at high prices with the form of community health care and free product introduction.

In Luu Kien commune (Tuong Duong), one day at the end of February, a group of 3 people from the southern provinces introduced themselves as employees of BTH Group, went to implement a community health care program and introduced free products. The target audience of this group of people were mainly the elderly and women. They went to each house, starting to exaggerate the uses of the functional foods they brought.

“First, they played on people’s psychology, saying that people in the mountains work hard and have to work a lot in the fields, so they quickly develop osteoarthritis and other dangerous diseases,” said a woman who spent a large amount of money on functional foods, adding that the group also advertised that their products “can cure all diseases,” even Covid-19. In fact, these are just functional foods and do not have the same therapeutic effects as medicine.

Using the old trick, this group of people sold goods under the guise of a “charity program”. Initially, these sales staff announced that they would only sell one box of medicine for 30,000 to 100,000 VND and asked people who agreed to buy to raise their hands. The first people to register to buy were also given other products such as lemongrass essential oil, massage essential oil, etc. After that, this group of people started to offer other products and raised the price to millions.

A man goes to people's houses in Luu Kien commune to sell products. Photo: Provided by people

Not only in Luu Kien, many people in other communes also reported that they were tricked by this group of people under the guise of charity to buy functional foods at high prices. A woman in Tam Quang commune said that after hearing the advertisement, she bought Nano Curcumin Bao An Cordyceps sinensis and red ginseng extract (and was given a bottle of An Moc Don massage essential oil) worth 1,400,000 VND. However, after using it for a session, she had a severe stomachache so she did not dare to use it anymore. Many other people bought it, so they did not dare to use it either.

Mr. Vang Kien Cuong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Luu Kien Commune said that this group of people took advantage of the gullibility of ethnic minorities to defraud and sell products at high prices. After receiving information from the people, the commune police force invited this group to work, then expelled them from the area. "Through the commune's propaganda channels, we have also warned people that groups of scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated, so they will find ways to bypass the authorities, so we hope that people will be more vigilant. If there are subjects organizing consultation sessions and introducing products, it is necessary to immediately report to the local police for timely handling measures, not to be deceived, losing money and getting in trouble...", Mr. Cuong said.