$VAR1 = '$VAR1 = \'{
    "name" : "dsfsdfs",
    "age" : "23",
    "city" : "vvvvv",
    "state" : "aaaa",
    }\';
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Wait, is that really the output that you get from print Dumper($params);? That would mean that $params is in fact a string of Data::Dumper output - in other words someone is POSTing that to your script? Could you please clarify, preferably with an SSCCE?