Toys like Labubus and other popular character toys from films and TV can be the hottest gifts of the season, but ordering them online can also be a sneaky scam costing you hundreds of dollars.
That’s because any too-good-to-be-true deals you see between now and the holidays are likely a scam.
The Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that tracks bad advertisements and customer complaints in North America, recently released a warning about the rise of counterfeit toys in the marketplace that are fooling consumers.
“There’s always counterfeit products around this time of year,” said Melanie McGovern, the BBB’s director of public relations and social media.
These mistakes can be costly, because you might receive a poorly made counterfeit gift, if you even get one at all. According to the BBB’s scam tracker for this December, one Seattle consumer reported that a Stitch toy from the Disney movie “Lilo & Stitch” never arrived from the reseller, costing them $32, while another consumer said they tried to buy a $69 “toy dog on website [for a] lonely elderly, individual … Waited almost a month for delivery. When arrived it was not anything at all like what was depicted on website.”
Vigilance is one way to avoid this disappointment. Here’s how to spot a fake toy, so you can avoid getting scammed during the holidays.
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How The Fake Toy Gift Scam Works
The biggest telltale sign of the scam is the site they’re coming from. These will typically be via an ad or a little-known vendor website offering a “flash sale” or “last-minute” deal on a toy that is sold out on major retailer sites.
“If it’s something that is sold out everywhere else, but all of a sudden this website pops up with the item that you’re looking for,” then that’s a red flag, McGovern said.
Amy Nofziger, the director of fraud victim support with AARP, said that the organization receives complaints from grandparents who ordered counterfeit gifts for their grandchildren on websites they thought were real. Nofziger noted that this scheme is insidious: Sometimes these bad actors will manipulate search engine results to be one of the first ones consumers will see, or they will insert their fraudulent links in crowdsourced Reddit posts to appear more legitimate.
But the website design might give these fraudulent websites away. The BBB advises consumers to look for signs of poor website quality, such as misspellings and blurry logos as other telltale signs of a toy scam.
“It’s an emotional purchase, because you’re trying to be kind of the superstar of the holidays.”
– Amy Nofziger, the director of fraud victim support with AARP
Despite any misgivings consumers may have, the popular toy scam works, because it’s tempting to score a gift you know would delight the child in your life. That’s when you stop thinking with your head and start opening up your wallet to suspicious offers.
“It’s an emotional purchase, because you’re trying to be kind of the superstar of the holidays. You’re the one that found the gift,” Nofziger said. To counteract this temptation, you need to be extra suspicious of any deals you see.
Both Nofziger and McGovern said a simple gut-check everyone can do is to use a search engine to look up the retailer or the toy along with the words “scam” to see if anybody else has reported delivery or counterfeit issues.
If you do buy a toy online, Nofziger said to also use a credit card, because this form of payment makes it easier to dispute a fraudulent or suspicious charge.
These steps take a little more time, but they’re worth it because a fake toy is not only disappointing to receive, but it can also be dangerous too.
In August, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an urgent warning to consumers about the rise of fake Labubu plush dolls, also known as “Lafufus,” that could be choking hazards to children, because they are not up to safety standards.
“These fakes, sold both as plush figures and plush keychains, are small enough for a child to fit the doll in their mouth and block their airway,” the warning stated. “CPSC has also received reports of fake Labubu dolls that break apart easily, releasing small pieces that can become choking hazards.”
Legitimate toys will go through rigorous testing for safety and age appropriateness, but fake toys don’t have those same guarantees.
That’s why it’s better to not get tempted by the allure of a website’s “flash sale” for the hottest toy at extra-low prices. Passing on a most-wanted toy deal can be disappointing, but it will hurt your wallet and your family more in the long-run if you buy something they can’t even safely use.