New App Can Determine If Designer Bags Are Fake
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- In 2017, it seems as if there's an app for just about everything. One of the latest is a new app that can tell if a designer bag is real or fake.
At the Buy Sell Loan Pawn Shop in San Jose, one of the Louis Vuitton handbags on display is a so-called "superfake" -- a counterfeit so good, it's virtually impossible to detect with the naked eye.
"When you're talking about a two to three thousand dollar handbag, it's going to be made very well.
The new Entrupy app has a special camera that takes microscopic pictures of the handbag's various surfaces. Everything from the leather to the stitching and even the metal buckles.
The pictures are then uploaded from your phone to Entrupy's servers and algorithm for analysis.
Within seconds, users can get a real-time answer whether a bag is fake or not.
"Every girl is going to want a handbag and is going to want a nice one. She's just not going to want to pay full price for it," said Deanna Thompson with Entrupy. "And she certainly doesn't want to get duped into buying a fake. Entrupy is able to create that layer of trust with customers, buyers and sellers. It's just going to completely shift the resale market where this is going to be the new norm."
Because of his lack of familiarity with high-end handbags, Buy Sell Loan store manager Gerardo Arriola turned away a lot of business because he didn't want to get stuck with fakes.
But Arriola was one of Entrupy's early adopters, supplying the company with valuable photos to help improve the detection algorithm.
Now, he says Entrupy has allowed him to dive into the lucrative resale market.
"So for me, I could lend a lot more money, I could take more items, and it actually improves my sales. Because everyone's looking for a high-end purse at a lower price," explained Arriola.
Entrupy has been working on handbags for about a year, and currently authenticates 11 different brands including Burberry and Prada with plans to expand to other luxury items.
Entrupy also has a message for the counterfeiters operating in the Bay Area.
"We're coming for you. We know what you're doing, and we can spot them," said Thompson.
