In recent years, live-streaming sales have surged in the e-commerce world, providing convenience for consumers while also opening doors for some unscrupulous individuals.

These offenders have been marketing sports shoes at stunningly low prices, claiming they are “limited edition” or “exclusive” items, with discounts of up to 80% off the original price, all while assuring customers that they are genuine products. Is this too good to be true?

Investigations have revealed that a growing number of consumers are discovering issues with the shoes they’ve purchased. When attempting to verify the authenticity by scanning the QR codes, they are redirected only to the company’s official website and unable to trace the product’s provenance. When complaints lead to the closure of their live-stream channels, these sellers quickly set up new ones to continue their operations.

Shoes that cost around $15 to produce are marketed in live streams for prices ranging from $85 to $150. By the time the scheme was uncovered, these live streams had sold over 2,500 pairs of counterfeit shoes.

Some of the victims opted to report the fraud to the police. In June of this year, the police in Shanghai’s Pudong district established a special task force. Through extensive investigations and fieldwork, they uncovered a criminal network spanning the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, which had built a complete supply chain for counterfeit sports shoes from production to sales.

In September, authorities successfully apprehended nine key operators, including individuals identified as Weng, Qiu, and Xu, and dismantled three locations producing and selling counterfeit sports shoes. Over 900 pairs of fake branded shoes were seized on-site.

Following preliminary investigations and interrogations, all suspects confessed. An initial financial audit revealed a total involvement amounting to approximately $24,000. The police in Shanghai’s Pudong district have since enacted legal measures against the nine criminal suspects.

【Editor: Cao Zijian】