Tourists in fake-goods scam

SAR tourists in Europe are being duped by fake goods producers into buying the latest luxury brands which are then shipped back to the mainland to be copied.

Luxury goods chain Louis Vuitton said that in Venice, agents - most of them mainlanders - were using Hong Kong tourists to buy the latest items.

'Most of these tourists are Hong Kong people, because they are more approachable for the mainlanders. Generally Hong Kong tourists are less aware of the problem,' one Louis Vuitton manager said. 'Every day we'll have five or six Hong Kong tourists coming in and demanding to buy the latest products. We know most of them are not buying for themselves because many buy without a second's consideration.

'Counterfeit products are a very serious problem and we are very aware of this. It is a serious offence.' The manager said counterfeiters had tried to make use of American or European tourists but they tended to be more suspicious of the activity and would usually refuse.

She warned that tourists could get themselves into trouble if they agreed to buy on behalf of the counterfeit producers.

'It's not just wrong, it's dangerous,' she said. 'We have anti-counterfeit agents outside. If we see customers give what they bought to counterfeiters, we will call in the police.' The agents often claim to be ardent fashion collectors wanting the latest designer items. The shops usually require buyers to register with their passports before purchasing, and the buyers are restricted to two items per person. The agents let the buyers keep the receipts so they can claim tax rebates of up to 20 per cent.