Parents scammed by Chinese firm; lose up to ₹44 lakh in the name of Paris Kids Fashion Week

An elaborate scam by a Chinese firm has been brought to light for holding fake fashion shows falsely branded as Paris Kids Fashion Week. The fashion shows held for children conned parents by charging up to 6,000 yuan (around ₹72,500) per child to participate. According to the South China Morning Post, parents have been scammed into spending around 367,000 yuan (over ₹44 lakh).

The company has been organising shows since 2020, spanning across cities like Shanghai, Paris and Toronto, according to the Xinmin Evening News. Their website featured images of French tourist attractions like the Louvre. The firm has held four shows under the names of luxury brands like Gucci, Dior and Burberry to appear legitimate.

The company’s fraud was confirmed by The Shanghai Market Regulatory Bureau after a complaint from the Gucci office in Shanghai. The firm was found to use fake logos like Gucc100 and Gucc101. As a result, the company has been fined 600,000 yuan (around ₹72.5 lakh). The investigation has led a company staff member to admit that many of the costumes were fake designer replicas.

The Shanghai-based company had imposed additional charges for costumes which were later revealed to be fraudulent. Although the company owner claimed the clothes were only used for photo shoots, authorities deemed this a serious case of trademark infringement. The fees collected by the company were classified as illegal earnings and the company was fined accordingly.

The company is not facing such a penalty for the first time, according to a legal officer in Shanghai. Despite the actions taken, the company’s social media accounts remain active.