The Allure of Affordable Luxury: Why Designer Perfumes at Water-Bottle Prices are a Click Away.

Police Crackdown on Counterfeit Perfume Ring in Ho Chi Minh City

In a recent bust, Ho Chi Minh City police dismantled a large-scale counterfeit perfume operation, arresting Lu Hung Phat (30) and his wife, Tran Thi Bich Lien (29), along with five other accomplices. The group is accused of producing and selling fake perfumes of popular brands such as Chanel, Bvlgari, and YSL in significant quantities.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate promoted their products through social media groups, advertising and distributing them widely across Vietnam. Authorities simultaneously raided three locations: the registered business address, a packaging site, and a storage warehouse. Over 10,000 counterfeit perfume bottles were seized during the operation.

The availability of cheap branded perfumes, including knock-offs and homemade versions, is not a new phenomenon for Vietnamese consumers. Despite warnings, social media platforms continue to host rampant sales of perfumes at unbelievably low prices.

For instance, in a Facebook group named “Sỉ lẻ nước hoa giá rẻ” with almost 20,000 members, a seller named N.K advertised a set of five mini Chanel perfumes for just VND 60,000 per set, which equates to approximately VND 12,000 per bottle—the same price as a popular brand of bottled water like Aquafina or Lavie.

The set included popular Chanel fragrances: N°5 Chanel (7.5ml), N°19 Chanel (7.5ml), Coco Mademoiselle (7.5ml), Coco Eau De Parfum (7.5ml), and Chance Chanel (8.5ml). Bulk purchases further reduced the price to VND 47,000 per set for orders of 30 sets or more.

In another Facebook group with nearly 40,000 members, a similar set was offered at an even lower price of VND 34,000—a price so low it was hard to believe.

In contrast, the official Chanel website lists the price of N°5 (250ml) at over VND 3 million per bottle, N°19 (100ml) at VND 4.5 million, and Coco Mademoiselle (200ml) at over VND 6 million. The online deals were eight to eighteen times cheaper than the authentic products.

Chanel is not the only luxury brand facing this issue. Other prestigious perfume brands like Dior, YSL, and Bvlgari are also being “popularized” on social media. For example, the Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme 100ml, which retails for around VND 2.3-2.4 million, is being offered by some individuals for VND 1.8-1.9 million, a 20% discount. Some sellers even offer perfumes supposedly from Dior or YSL for just a few hundred thousand dong, an incredible 20 to 30 times cheaper than the authentic products.

This issue extends to e-commerce platforms as well. For instance, a TikTok video advertising Chanel men’s perfume attracted hundreds of buyers. However, when they clicked on the shopping cart, they found a product called “Chenell,” a deceptively similar name, with an imitation design. The product was offered at a “shockingly low” price of VND 199,000, reduced from VND 450,000.

Perfume industry insiders say that the price gap between genuine and unbranded products is creating a confusing “matrix” for consumers. On e-commerce platforms, the same brand of perfume can be found at vastly different prices, making it challenging to distinguish between authentic and counterfeit products.

Ms. My Hanh, an experienced online perfume seller, shared her insights: “Luxury perfume brands like Chanel and Dior typically range from VND 3 to 4 million per bottle. If you come across a product priced at just over VND 1 million, it’s almost certainly not authentic.”

According to Ms. Hanh, prestigious perfume brands rarely offer deep discounts because they are luxury items with strict quality control processes. Consumers should be cautious of “shockingly low” deals and avoid purchasing fake or substandard products that could harm their health and waste their money.

The police also advise consumers to choose reputable distribution channels and avoid buying from unclear sources on social media, especially when the prices are significantly lower than market rates.