Vietnam Fines Three Major MLM Companies
Vietnamese authorities have imposed fines on Seacret, Elken Global, and Unicity for violating multi level marketing (MLM) regulations. The Vietnam Competition Commission (VCC) included the three companies among six businesses that received combined penalties totaling $49,600. The enforcement action reflects Vietnam’s continued efforts to strengthen oversight of the direct selling industry and ensure compliance with local business laws.
Companies Penalized for Multiple Regulatory Breaches
According to Vietnam News, the companies were found in violation of several MLM regulations. These included failing to update business registration records, operating outside approved procedures, providing inadequate supervision of distributors, failing to meet reporting obligations, and not complying with mandatory training requirements for sales representatives. Some companies also conducted MLM activities without obtaining approval from provincial authorities, while others failed to meet the legal requirement that at least 20% of annual MLM sales come from retail customers outside their distributor networks.
Seacret Receives Largest Disclosed Fine
Among the companies named, Seacret Vietnam Co., Ltd. received the largest publicly disclosed penalty of 455 million VND (approximately $17,235). The amounts imposed on Elken International Vietnam Co., Ltd. and Unicity Marketing Vietnam Co., Ltd. were not disclosed. Seacret Direct’s global MLM business collapsed in 2024 before relaunching as Viago, a travel focused MLM company. However, Seacret products continue to be marketed in Vietnam through the seacret-vietnam.vn website, suggesting the company has maintained its original product line in the country.
Vietnam Tightens Oversight of the MLM Industry
The remaining companies fined were My Loi Trading One Member Co., Ltd., Best World Vietnam Co., Ltd., and Care For Vietnam Co., Ltd., all local Vietnamese MLM businesses. According to Vietnam News, only 15 licensed MLM companies were operating in Vietnam by the end of 2025. With six licensed companies facing regulatory penalties within a single year, the latest enforcement action highlights increasing regulatory pressure and ongoing compliance challenges across Vietnam’s MLM industry.
