Fraudulent activities exploiting e-commerce are becoming increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable.

E-commerce platforms are being exploited for fraudulent activities aimed at misappropriating assets, with these acts becoming increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable in both scale and scope.

Authorities inspect the warehouse of TikToker Mailystyle.com - Photo: Hanoi City Market Management Department.

The National Competition Commission has just released a report titled "Quality Control of Goods in E-commerce: Current Situation and Some Recommendations."

According to this agency, with the above purchasing method E-commerce is being exploited by individuals and organizations to trade counterfeit goods, prohibited goods, goods of unknown origin, and goods that do not meet quality standards. At the same time, e-commerce platforms are being used for fraud and embezzlement, with these acts becoming increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable in both scale and scope.

E-commerce fraud is on the rise.

According to a summary of the National Competition Commission's activities in receiving, advising, and assisting in resolving requests, petitions, and complaints, in the first nine months of 2024, the agency received and resolved 64 complaints related to e-commerce, accounting for 9.4% of the total number of cases - a higher increase compared to 5.5% in 2023.

Notably, statistics from the General Department of Market Management show that in the first nine months of the year, 2,014 violations were handled, resulting in administrative fines totaling 35.4 billion VND and the value of confiscated goods amounting to 29.4 billion VND related to e-commerce.

According to the National Competition Commission, the current legal framework already has sufficient regulations to manage and control the assurance of origin and quality of goods sold on e-commerce platforms. However, due to limited resources of the authorities, many violations still circumvent the law.

Along with that, there are many cases consumers Orders and phone numbers were leaked, leading to calls about deliveries. These calls targeted regular customers who trusted the delivery person and transferred shipping or payment for the goods when they weren't present. Ultimately, customers lost money and didn't receive the products they wanted.

Therefore, the national competition authority believes that to strengthen control over the origin and quality of goods sold on the platform, synchronized solutions and cooperation between sellers, buyers, and state management agencies are needed.

Increase accountability for e-commerce platforms.

First, it is necessary to strengthen the responsibility of e-commerce platforms in granting permission for the listing of products that have provided sufficient documentation proving their authenticity.

Inspect vendors who fail to fulfill contractual commitments and business regulations, conduct physical inspections of goods, and ensure the sale of genuine products. Origin.

Platforms must ensure that sellers publicly disclose complete and accurate seller and product information on their sales channels. There are strict penalties for sellers who fail to provide sufficient information and ensure that the sale of goods does not violate regulations.

The National Competition Commission also advises consumers not to share or disclose personal information, especially order information, to unrelated parties or those who may exploit personal information to commit fraud or harm consumer interests.

Before making a transaction, consumers need to verify and thoroughly research the seller's information; this can be done through research tools, reviews, and ratings of the store and products… to increase their understanding and support their ordering decision.

Choose to purchase goods and services on reputable e-commerce platforms, especially those that have been certified and licensed to operate by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the competent authority.

Source