Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice
Press release no 25/2025
PDF version
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) hosted the international conference “Ordered, counterfeited, unmasked: the global fight against e-commerce fakes” on 7–8 October in Alicante, Spain. The event, the largest ever organised jointly by OLAF and EUIPO, brought together over 100 participants from across the world to address one of the fastest-growing fraud phenomena: counterfeit products sold online.
OLAF and national customs authorities presented trends, case studies and investigative techniques for online investigations. Experts discussed methods used by counterfeiters to misuse online sales channels and shared best practices on how to tackle them. Major e-commerce platforms explained the operation of traditional websites and e-commerce platforms, their various business models and logistic flows as well as compliance processes related to the prevention of online sale of counterfeited products.
E-commerce has revolutionised shopping but it has also created a fertile ground for fraudsters to push fake and unsafe goods into the market. Counterfeit goods cause economic harm but can also pose serious risks to consumers’ health and safety. The rapid growth of online platforms, combined with the anonymity and speed of digital transactions, makes tackling this wrongdoing a uniquely complex challenge.
For this reason, for the first time, the conference was organised in a hybrid format, allowing wide reach of partners from all continents. The conference brought together more than 100 participants from across the world, including over 50 customs authorities. Speakers from Belgium, Brazil, India, Nigeria, Türkiye and Sweden animated the discussions. Major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba, Mercado Libre, Temu and Shopee, alongside payment provider PayPal and representatives from World Customs Organization (WCO) also took part. Their presence reflected the global nature of e-commerce fraud and the need for global solutions. You can read more about the event in EUIPO’s news item.
OLAF acting Director-General Salla Saastamoinen stressed the importance of the event: “E-commerce has revolutionised shopping, but it has also created new opportunities for fraudsters. Counterfeit toys, medicines and electronics are not harmless bargains — they endanger health and safety. With this conference, OLAF and EUIPO laid the groundwork for stronger international cooperation to protect consumers in Europe and worldwide.”
The two-day meeting marked a turning point by moving beyond knowledge-sharing to creating the basis for future operational collaboration. OLAF and EUIPO intend this to be the start of enhanced global joint efforts against online counterfeiting, ensuring that the digital marketplace becomes safer and fairer for citizens.
For further details:
Pierluigi CATERINO
Spokesperson
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335
Email: olaf-media ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
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