Hermes discovers internal staff aided counterfeiters

Counterfeit goods cost luxury brands million in revenue each year, and Hermes, the epitome of luxurious leather goods, has been keen to put a stop to production of its fakes.But as accidents always happen closest to home, so apparently

does illegal counterfeiting. Hermes confirmed it fired two employees on suspicion of being involved with counterfeiting, which it discovered using internal monitoring systems over the course of a year.

The surveillance was part of an investigation into the international crime ring that robs the brand of millions of dollars every year, and French police found clandestine workshops bursting at the seams with precious leather skins for making the counterfeit accessories.

The ring that has distribution outlets in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, is thought to be able to generate $22million through one branch alone, stated the Daily Mail.

The Paris public prosecutor told WWD: 'Hermès is very satisfied with the efficient and diligent collaboration established with the national gendarmerie in this case and reiterates its relentless commitment to fighting counterfeiting. 'This action puts an end to the fraudulent project in progress.'

How to spot a fake Hermes: the leather and skins used for Hermes bags undergo very strict quality control and are made of only the finest skins. This means only a small percentage of leather passes the grade good enough to make one of its bags. If you question the quality of the leather, you can bet you've found yourself a fake. Pay close attention to the finer details of images, noticing the zipper, the accent over the letter 'e' on the hardware, the embossed logo on the leather, etc. The waiting list for the Birkin bag is very long, so finding a deal too-good-to-be true means it probably is fake. The bags will keep their value over time, so a 'cheap' deal will likely not be an authentic one.