Food and beverages is big business. Annual sales make this industry an attractive target to criminals, both in retail spaces and online.
As a result, counterfeits thrive and if products and their packaging look right they will convince most consumers to buy. Counterfeit wine and spirits, extra virgin olive oil, sugar with traces of fertilizer, and the list goes on and on. All with no quality control or regulated ingredients.
This has created a danger for consumers, but also for brand owners. If a consumer falls ill from fake food or drink, the brand’s name will be involved and result in negative impact on its reputation.
Counterfeit food and beverages are even easier to sell online, where for the low cost of a website and listings on online marketplaces, anyone can market their products and distribute them to consumers around the world, often with no accountability.
Fraudulent Technics used by online scammers vary and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They include infringing domain names and replicating brand websites, all designed to mislead consumers and get them to buy counterfeited products.
This is even more difficult in emerging markets, where laws, regulations and local authorities may prove difficult to navigate.
Growing Danger of Counterfeit Alcohol
Counterfeit drinks, especially alcoholic drinks can be very dangerous. Fake drinks are sold online on a daily basis in growing numbers.
Unsuspecting consumers falsely led by fraudulent "marketing technics" are in real danger as these low-quality and unsafe products pose serious health issues, and have be known to cause death.
€230 Mil. of Fake Food & Beverages Seized
The joint Europol-INTERPOL operation "OPSON VI" in April 2017 targeting counterfeit and substandard food and drink, as well as the organised crime networks behind this illicit trade, has resulted in the seizure of 9,800 tonnes, over 26.4 million litres, and 13 million units/items worth an estimated EUR 230 million of potentially harmful food and beverages ranging from every day products such as alcohol, mineral water, seasoning cubes, seafood and olive oil, to luxury goods such as caviar.
Source: Europol
The Wiser Market Solution
Wiser Market will combat online counterfeit food and drinks sellers to protect your brand.
Our protection strategy is based on an advanced monitoring system and our team of in-house experts.
We provide a proactive and effective way to enforce your intellectual property rights, gain control of your
brand’s reputation, by making counterfeiting activity too costly for those looking to make easy
profit off your hard labor.
Your consumers will be safer knowing they buy legit brands and quality products.
Is your Food & Beverages brand protected? Contact us for a FREE brand review.
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What Customers Say About Us
Wiser Market successfully protects our brand online by taking down fake accessories and illegal listings of our successful pressure cookers. This is a very important service for our brand with their global reach. Through our work with Wiser Market we can focus on growing our business, while they provide us with intellectual property protection, and secure our online revenues.
Wiser Market has been highly effective in combating unauthorized listings worldwide. With Wiser Market we have greater visibility into our online channels, enabling us to identify the sources of unauthorized sellers and mitigate the risk. Their team’s work has been pivotal in helping us protect our global brand, further build consumer confidence and support our ‘partner’ network worldwide. Thank you Wiser Market!”