Luxury designer counterfeit products are on the rise and even the most knowledgeable shoppers are finding it hard to tell the difference.
According to Michael Zahariev, co-founder of luxury reseller and authenticator Luxity, the products entering South Africa are made with precision and attention to detail.
These items are dubbed superfakes and are part of the reason we employ a dual authentication process, using an internal expert and an independent third party for every item we purchase.
Citing the Global Anti-counterfeiting Consumer Survey conducted by Michigan State University, he highlights that 68% of consumers have been duped into buying counterfeit goods, with 39% acquiring these from online retailers and another 39% from social media.
Given WhatsApps popularity in South Africa, it has become counterfeiters' tool of choice for targeting unsuspecting buyers.
