Vietnamese beauty queen arrested for fraud over fibre gummies

Vietnamese authorities have arrested a beauty queen and social media influencer for consumer fraud after she promoted a counterfeit fibre supplement.

Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien had heavily marketed gummies said to be rich in fibre on her social media channels.

But a public backlash erupted after product tests revealed this was untrue.

A former winner of the Miss Grand International beauty competition, Ms Nguyen is a well-known personality in Vietnam and previously received accolades from the government.

Ms Nguyen had promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies along with social media influencers, Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc.

Investigators said the product was the result of a joint venture between Ms Nguyen and a company set up by the two other influencers.

The influencers claimed that each of their gummies contained fibre equivalent to a plate of vegetables.

A member of the public sent the product for testing at a lab, which found that each gummy only contained 16mg of fibre, far from 200mg as claimed.

Authorities then launched an investigation, which found that sub-standard ingredients that were low in fibre were used in the manufacture of the gummies.

The product's packaging also did not state the fibre content, nor did it state that the product contained a high level of sorbitol, which is used in laxatives.

The three influencers were fined in March, and apologised to the public.

The following month, Vietnamese authorities arrested Mr Pham and Hang Du Muc as well as officials from their company and the gummies' manufacturer.

They were charged with producing counterfeit goods and defrauding customers.

On Monday, authorities announced the arrest of Ms Nguyen for allegedly deceiving customers.

More than 100,000 boxes of the gummies were reportedly sold before sales were halted due to the scandal.

After winning the Bangkok-based beauty pageant in 2021, Ms Nguyen became a celebrity sought after by many Vietnamese brands, and appeared on several reality TV shows.

She also received certificates of merit from the prime minister and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union under Vietnam's ruling Communist Party.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2e33dvpgxro

Comprehension

Who was arrested for consumer fraud in Vietnam?
What product did Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien promote on social media?
Why did the public criticize the product?
How much fibre did the lab test show each gummy actually contained?
Who were the two other influencers involved in the product promotion?
What did investigators discover about the ingredients used in the gummies?
What charges were brought against the influencers and company officials?
How many boxes of the gummies were reportedly sold before the scandal stopped sales?

Discussion

Why do you think people trust influencers when buying products?
Should influencers be held legally responsible for promoting false products? Why or why not?
How can customers protect themselves from counterfeit or misleading health products online?
What should social media platforms do to prevent fraud in product promotions?
Do you think influencers promote products because they believe in them or mainly for profit? Explain.
How can beauty queens or celebrities influence public behavior and consumer choices?
What impact might this scandal have on the influencer industry in Vietnam?
What ethical guidelines should influencers follow when advertising supplements or health products?
Why is it dangerous to mislabel or hide ingredients like sorbitol in food supplements?
How important is government regulation in preventing consumer fraud?

Vocabulary

Counterfeit – Fake; made to look like the real thing but not genuine.
Supplement – A product taken to improve health or add nutrients.
Backlash – A strong negative public reaction.
Sub-standard – Below the required or expected quality.
Sorbitol – A sugar alcohol used in some foods and laxatives.
Defraud – To trick someone to gain money or something valuable.
Manufacture – To produce goods, especially in large amounts.
Merit – Praise or recognition for good work or achievements.