It is one of the biggest indicators of counterfeit items. Whether it’s designer bags, shoes or beauty products, the price is often the clearest indication. If you’re buying brand new, the price of your purchase usually includes prevailing taxes like GST – and unless purchased on a huge discount, it’s not likely to be that low.

Alarm bells should ring when you see an unusually low pricing without reason (such as a flash sale or brand promotion). That is often the first indication that the product is not the real thing.

One other factor to consider is that each picture of the product should be a clear and accurate representation of the item. If there are typos, differences in colour tones, misaligned logos or text, it often means that the product is counterfeit.

This is because many luxury brands take exceptional care to ensure that their brand is represented precisely in the image they have crafted. Any deviation is often a costly misrepresentation of their brand, and in order to protect this image, products with an error on the packaging are discarded, and many are destroyed. So if your item features any of the above variations, it is highly likely a fake.

To protect their brand, some even create unique markings or codes to indicate authenticity. Home-grown brand Sigi Skin is one example. Says founder Xenia Wong: “All Sigi Skin products have a serialised GS1 verified barcode at the base of our product boxes as proof of authenticity. We also encourage buyers to buy direct from the brand’s website or official marketplace platform to ensure that they are getting authentic products.”

Luxe makeup and skincare brand Chantecaille’s general manager for Taiwan and Singapore Erato Shen says: “Like other international brands, Chantecaille is also under threat with a number of fakes in the market. We have updated our packaging to include a scannable icon, which enables customers to check if the product they’ve bought is authentic using the Chantecaille app.”

Customer reviews would be the most telling. Truthful reviews are often less “gushy” and focus on the details of the product – which only familiar users would know.

An example could be the smell of a lipstick or the colour pay-off for a blush powder. These attributes are unique to each product and, more often than not, consumers are sensitive if they aren’t present. So if reviews don’t cover these key points and the product hasn’t changed its formula, it’s likely a fake review for a fake product. You can also try browser extensions and apps such as Fakespot and Review Meta to detect whether these reviews are authentic or not.

If you’ve been duped into buying a counterfeit product in Singapore, you have a number of legal rights under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.

Firstly, you can seek legal recourse via the Small Claims Tribunals (for amounts under $20,000). For amounts exceeding $20,000, a lawsuit can commence with the District Court, Magistrates Court, or General Division of the High Court.

Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is a non-profit, non-government organisation that seeks to protect consumer interests. It can act on your behalf or assist in drafting letters to the seller.