They were so lifelike that the manager of a renowned auction house in Madrid faced a shocking reality: Chanel and Dior fakes had slipped through. Documents reviewed by OPEN CASE show a Madrid-based company reached out to Chanel and Dior to verify authenticity after a May sale of four luxury bags. The alert appeared in September when a seller contacted the firm via email and sent four luxury items up for auction: Chanel in black, white, and beige, along with a Christian Dior piece, all positioned as authentic originals.
At first glance, the fakes mirrored the originals perfectly. Their makers even copied authenticity certificates and care manuals. The items initially passed the house’s screening, but staff in the Salamanca showroom, experienced with high-end pieces, spotted a subtle telltale detail: a stitching flaw on a label that betrayed the forgery.
Sold for 2,750 euros
Brand representatives were consulted and conducted a preliminary review. They confirmed the suspicions: although the fakes were highly convincing, differences appeared in the stitching, the authenticity card, and the care guide. They concluded these bags were not original at all.
The company’s manager reported the fraud to police and admitted to agents that the supposed fraudster had previously pressed criminal charges. He explained that a Chanel bag in black had been sent to the auction house months earlier and, after a cursory inspection, was included in a live sale held on June 29 with a starting price of 900 euros. A bidder later purchased it for 2,750 euros, with the fraudster allegedly keeping 2,245 euros for the deal.
In the subsequent investigation by the UDEV Central Intellectual and Industrial Property Crimes Branch II, investigators identified a 53-year-old Ukrainian woman, Tetiana, and her 75-year-old Austrian partner, who lived in a luxury Torrevieja residence with a partner. The police confirmed their active involvement in multiple courier operations, handling numerous packages that crossed borders in Europe. Over recent months, their shipments increased to 27 posts across Ireland, Romania, Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Belgium, Poland, Greece, and Estonia. The shipments typically consisted of single packages weighing 1.5 to 3.6 kilograms, suggesting they contained imitation bags or other luxury items. Researchers noted a pattern that reinforced the counterfeit operation’s reach.
Further details revealed Tetiana traveled from Valencia to Turkey by air between October 3 and November 21. Authorities highlighted that Turkey is a major hub for fake goods, including bags and fashion items, underscoring the global nature of the counterfeit network. The fakes were so convincingly crafted that only forensic analysis could uncover variations. The Dior bag sold to the Madrid house showed a leather label and a manufacturing code pattern that differed from the originals, where codes appear on the back and the top is joined rather than fully stitched around the exterior.
Even some Chanel pieces posed challenges. One bag bore a tag matching the authenticity card, yet the fake label’s iridescent Chanel double-C logo failed to shift color with lighting or viewing angle, revealing the deception upon close inspection.
A suspicious package
On Tetiana’s return from Turkey, a Barcelona Post Office headquarters confirmed receipt of a suspicious package linked to her online sales activity. Agents from the Barcelona Cyber Crime Unit, together with postal officials, opened the package after confirming it contained a bag. Inside a secure case lay a salmon-hued Christian Dior in an ornate box, listed with an opening price of 700 euros. Police collected statements from the auction house as they uncovered Tetiana’s pattern of evading controls in Madrid. The house had planned to auction a pink Chanel bag for 1,200 euros, with Tetiana as the supposed consignor.
The investigation also pointed to the couple’s partner, a retiree named Valeri, who reportedly sent the packages from their Torrevieja residence. Authorities traced a pattern of communication with a Spanish courier network, linking shipments to cross-border operations across Europe. In one instance, law enforcement matched a shipment to a date when Tetiana was in Turkey, prompting questions about the timing and locations of drops and pickups. The police noted the involvement of an accomplice and observed that Tetiana’s activity extended even to a potential collaboration with a major auction house, Sotheby’s, indicating broader ambitions beyond individual sales.
Authorities arrested Tetiana and Valeri on December 12. They faced charges of fraud and crimes against industrial property, with potential penalties up to eight years in prison and an estimated defrauded amount around 50,000 euros. A subsequent search of their Torrevieja home uncovered eight counterfeit bags from Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, as well as four Maybach, Dior, and Chanel sunglasses, and a second-brand belt. In the dressing room, investigators found two Chanel bag models and two Dior labels, along with a handwritten agenda and receipts intended for two auction houses. A computer hard drive showed an active eBay listing for a Chanel bag and belt and another Dior item. The pair’s system showed a browser open to Chanel’s official site while they tracked prices for one of the items they had posted. Frustration from the police operation did not stop them; reports indicate they had already approached Sotheby’s with an interest in a business relationship.
In this rapidly evolving case, authorities emphasize the global scale of luxury counterfeit networks and the ongoing need for meticulous verification at every point of purchase, from consignments to in-person auctions. [OPEN CASE]