IQ Technology has released findings showing a notable rise in counterfeit goods from international brands in Russian markets over a 12-month period. The analysis indicates counterfeit smartphones now account for 31 percent of mobile devices, laptops 30 percent, and smart watches 63 percent. Brand names commonly faked include Apple and Samsung. Market participants attribute this surge to brands consolidating or withdrawing from the Russian market, which has reduced brand-supervised control measures. Online marketplaces, by contrast, claim that counterfeit shares remain below 0.1 percent. The report referenced by Kommersant highlights these discrepancies between researchers and retailers.
In a separate IQ Technology report covering July 2022 to July 2023, the share of counterfeit goods from brands exiting Russia nearly doubled. Specifically, smartphones from 12 percent rose to 31 percent, laptops from 22 percent to 31 percent, small household appliances from 15 percent to 34 percent, smart watches from 35 percent to 63 percent, and headphones and speakers from 27 percent to 69 percent. The study examined 15,000 products across platforms such as Wildberries, Ozon, Yandex.Market, Sbermegamarket, and AliExpress. The authors emphasize that the shift reflects a changing supply chain and the evolving approaches of counterfeiters amid geopolitical and market changes. These trends align with observations reported by industry observers and market participants who monitor cross-border product flows and consumer risk in e-commerce settings.
Alexander Logunov, Managing Partner at IQ Technology, notes that smartphones are the most frequently imitated category, with popular brands like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi leading fakes. He explains that counterfeit devices often mimic the exterior design but deviate in core components. For example, some fake Apple units run on the Android operating system instead of iOS. He also points out that fake laptops pose additional challenges because their internal components, such as hard drives, motherboards, RAM, and processors, can be swapped with cheaper alternatives, complicating detection. According to Logunov, the majority of counterfeit electronics originate from manufacturing hubs in Pakistan, China, and India. These insights underline the ongoing battle between counterfeiters and brands, as well as the importance of consumer vigilance and detector technologies in shopping environments.
Industry responses cite proactive monitoring and the use of advanced tools. Ozone representatives indicate that the company tracks counterfeit activity, including the deployment of neural networks to identify suspicious patterns. Wildberries disputes IQ Technology’s conclusions, stressing that all transactions are monitored in real time, and that buyers can evaluate product and seller ratings prior to purchase. AKIT President Artem Sokolov asserts that, according to his organization, the share of counterfeit items on marketplaces does not exceed 0.1 percent. AliExpress has not issued public remarks on the matter. A broader policy discussion has also arisen in government circles, with legislators considering measures to address foreign agents and financing dynamics that can influence market integrity and consumer protection. These developments reflect a wider effort to balance market openness with safeguards against fraud in a volatile international trade landscape.
Overall, the situation illustrates how shifts in brand presence, supply chains, and enforcement capabilities can shape the counterfeit market in large online marketplaces. Stakeholders—from platform operators to regulators and researchers—continue to refine methods for detecting inauthentic products and communicating risk to consumers. The conversation remains active as markets adapt to changes in international trade and consumer demand, reinforcing the need for transparent product information and robust verification mechanisms across e-commerce ecosystems.
Previous discussions in governmental bodies have touched on lending and access to credit for foreign entities operating within the country, signaling an ongoing dialogue about market safeguards, consumer protection, and the practical implications of geopolitical developments for the retail sector.