BRANDED perfume products usually come hand-in-hand with costly price tags, which unfortunately leads to an influx of counterfeit goods in the market.
Some seize this opportunity to deceive consumers by selling them at a fraction of the original price, claiming that the items are rejected factory items.
These products may pose serious health problems to public health at large, which is why local authorities take the issue of counterfeit products seriously.
Over the years, many raids were carried out to combat the entry of artificial goods into the country.
RAIDED & CONFISCATED
In 2017, the Selangor Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) seized 367 units of counterfeit perfume in two separate raids in Kajang and Puncak Alam, amounting to RM33,720.
According to intelligence and public sources, the two locations were utilised as storage centres for various fake perfumes of well-known brands before being supplied to the local market.
The case is being investigated under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 and those convicted can be fined not more than RM15,000 for each item placed with a false trade description or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.
In October last year, an influencer was arrested by enforcement officers of the Selangor Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) at a condominium in Seri Kembangan, which drew much attention.
The authorities uncovered the individual's activities and discovered over 1,000 bottles of counterfeit perfume during the raid by KPDNHEP. She was able to generate more than RM10,000 a month from selling fake perfumes of various international brands.
The fake perfume was sold for RM150 to RM200 per bottle, and the influencer advertised the perfume as genuine on social media.
A raid on six establishments selling counterfeit items in Jalan Lima, off Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Kuala Lumpur, yielded one of the largest seizures KPDNHEP has ever made, with an estimated value of RM1,762,800.
During the raid, workers on the premises were caught packaging perfume into branded boxes for distribution.
Authorities also discovered 33,272 units of various brands of perfume at the location, which had been used as a stockpile.
The counterfeit goods in this raid are sourced from China and will be distributed to wholesalers throughout the Klang Valley before being sold online.
HEALTH HAZARDS
The high value of products seized suggests that the counterfeit products sector has reached a tipping point. On the other hand, public knowledge of the dangers and consequences of utilising counterfeit items remains low.
Most branded items are priced exorbitantly, which is why Malaysians tend to go for cheaper, fake alternatives that look just like the original.
However, what's worrying is the use of synthetic drugs and perfumes in these counterfeit products that may prove to be lethal to consumers.
Chemicals in artificial perfumes have been linked to skin inflammation and liver cancer. This is because they are generally sprayed on sensitive areas like the wrists and neck, where they then penetrate the skin and enter the body.
Counterfeit perfumes also typically contain higher levels of methanol, unlike genuine perfumes which usually employ ethanol in small amounts as a safe solvent.
The methanol in fake fragrances converts to formalin, which can cause liver cancer, as well as potentially induce dizziness, headaches, nausea, stomach pain and vision problems.
Furthermore, tests have revealed that if the fake perfume liquid is exposed directly to the eyes, users may experience myopia or blindness, as well as shortness of breath and respiratory difficulties.
Other long-term negative effects include neurological diseases and photocontact dermatitis.
As a result, it is critical for customers to recognise and assess the safety of perfume prior to using them.
Learn more about perfume safety by watching this video:
BUYER BEWARE
To help make it easier for consumers to identify perfumes that meet international safety standards, buyers only need to look for products with a 'Perfume Safety Seal'.
Wipro Unza has introduced the Perfume Safety Seal in its fragrance items to help identify perfumes that fulfill strict international safety standards.
The content of fragrance items with the Perfume Safety Seal has been determined to be safe to use without causing any adverse effects that could be harmful to consumers' health.
Users can also verify that the product purchased is legitimate by scanning the QR code on each security label.
According to the Perfume Safety website, consumers can use the Safety Seal to verify that their perfume is safe in three simple steps:
Enchanteur, Dashing and Romano are among the perfume brands that have received the Perfume Safety Seal and have been verified as safe to use.
For more information on safe-to-use perfumes, please visit this website.