On July 25, the Yongdeng City Public Security Bureau in Hunan Province, China, announced that its Environmental, Food, and Drug Crime Investigation Unit had successfully cracked down on a syndicate selling counterfeit mobile phone chargers of famous brands through live streaming on social media. The estimated value of the seized goods exceeded 3 million yuan, equivalent to nearly 11 billion VND.
The case originated from a customer, Mr. Li, who reported that the charger he purchased from a live stream on Douyin heated up quickly during use, posing a safety hazard. Suspecting that it was a counterfeit product, he promptly notified the authorities.
Guided by the “professional + mechanism + big data” investigation model, the police swiftly established a task force. The investigation revealed that the perpetrators used tactics such as advertising “genuine second-hand,” “99% new,” or “95% new” to lure consumers with lower prices compared to authentic products.
Technical analysis uncovered that four seemingly independent live-streaming accounts were, in fact, operated by the same syndicate, with connections to groups in Fuzhou, Jiangxi, and Kunshan, Jiangsu. They had established local warehouses for shipping, creating a closed-loop criminal chain of sales, delivery, and storage.
Within just four days of investigation, the police gathered conclusive evidence and deployed over 30 officers to multiple locations. They raided four live-streaming rooms, seizing more than 20 mobile phones, computers, and over 10,000 counterfeit chargers.
From January 2024 until the bust, the syndicate had sold nearly 20,000 counterfeit phone chargers, purchasing them for about 50 yuan (180,000 VND) each and selling them for nearly double the price. Aside from infringing on intellectual property rights, these products also posed potential safety risks to consumers.
The involved social media accounts have been permanently banned, and the product links have been removed. The case is still under further investigation by the authorities.
By Khanh Vy
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