A 31-year-old office worker from Aichi Prefecture was referred to prosecutors on Monday on suspicion of violating the trademark law for selling counterfeit nail products bearing the logos of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton.
She admitted to the allegation, telling police, "I knew they were fakes, but I kept doing it to make ends meet.”
The suspect allegedly had 2,301 nail polish stickers and parts bearing the logos of Louis Vuitton and Chanel, among others, at her home last September with the intent of selling them.
Police reported that she had been buying counterfeit goods from Chinese websites and reselling them via social media and flea market apps. Between November 2022 and September last year, she sold approximately 2,600 items to about 200 people, earning around ¥800,000 ($5,100).
In January 2023, police received a complaint about the counterfeit goods from Louis Vuitton. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was selling only items with fake logos, and not genuine products.