How an AI Tool Might Be Stopping You From Buying a Fake Luxury Bag

As holiday shopping reaches its peak, a quiet revolution is happening at the checkout counters of luxury consignment shops and online marketplaces. An artificial intelligence tool called Entrupy is acting as the new gatekeeper of authenticity, stopping consumers from spending thousands of dollars on "superfakes" that have become virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

According to new reports from CBS News and industry insiders, this technology is now the primary line of defense for major platforms like TikTok Shop and independent luxury resellers, boasting an accuracy rate that human appraisers simply cannot match.

The "Superfake" Crisis
The counterfeit luxury market has exploded into a $464 billion global industry. Unlike the cheap knockoffs of the past with crooked stitching or misspelled logos, today's "superfakes" are often made in the same regions, using high-quality leather and near-identical hardware.

"The devil is in the details," said Will Dietsche, founder of the resale shop Foreign Objects. "These fake bags these days... they are so accurately done that the untrained eye—and even some experts—can't tell the difference."

How "Entrupy" Works
Entrupy replaces the "sniff test" with computer vision. The system uses a handheld device with a microscopic lens that attaches to a smartphone.


Micro-Imaging: The device takes extreme close-up photos of the bag's material, hardware, stitching, and paint at a magnification of 260x.

AI Comparison: These images are cross-referenced against a database of millions of microscopic images from known authentic items.

The Verdict: Within seconds, the AI delivers a verdict: "Authentic" or "Unidentified."

The company claims a 99.1% accuracy rate. If the AI certifies an item, Entrupy backs it with a financial guarantee, offering to buy the item back if it turns out to be fake.


Protecting the "Blind" Buy
The stakes are highest in the booming online resale market, where buyers cannot touch or inspect items before purchasing. To combat fraud, TikTok Shop recently partnered with Entrupy to mandate authentication for pre-owned luxury handbags sold on its platform.

"We just wanted to develop technology to make a dent in counterfeiting as a whole," said Vidyuth Srinivasan, Entrupy’s CEO. The technology effectively disincentivizes scammers, who know their goods will face a microscopic interrogation that no human bluffer can bypass.

While the tool is currently available primarily to businesses (pawn shops, resellers, and online platforms) rather than individual shoppers, its widespread adoption means that the "Certified Authentic" badge on your next vintage Louis Vuitton or Chanel purchase is likely the result of an AI's judgment, not a human's.