Cannes hosted the national launch of this year's Unifab anti-counterfeiting campaign on Wednesday, with mayor David Lisnard welcoming senior figures from France's fraud prevention apparatus to the town hall for the unveiling.
The Union des Fabricants, which represents over 200 companies and professional federations, launched its 18th annual awareness drive under the slogan "Menez l'enquête," urging holidaymakers to learn how to identify counterfeit goods themselves rather than relying on price alone. French customs seized more than 21 million counterfeit products in 2024, according to the association.
Attendees at Wednesday's launch included MP Christophe Blanchet, co-president of the National Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, INPI director general Pascal Faure, and the regional director of Marseille customs.
Delphine Sarfati-Sobreira, Unifab's director general, said counterfeits carry risks well beyond a bad purchase. "Behind it hides a much darker reality: health, environmental, criminal," she said, pointing to warning signs consumers can check themselves, including lot numbers on medicine boxes, CE markings on toys, jewellery that reacts to a magnet despite claiming precious metal, electronics that feel unusually light, or shoes that smell of burnt plastic.
The campaign runs through August across beaches and markets in Cannes, Nice, Saint-Tropez and beyond, with a cross-border session planned for Saturday, July 18 in San Remo alongside Unifab's Italian counterpart, Indicam.