The UK has been flooded with hundreds of thousands of fake Labubus – known as Lafufus – with buyers paying full price for the counterfeits.
UK Border Force has stopped more than 100,000 of the fake keychain toys, which has a devilish grin with wide eyes and rabbity ears, from entering the country.
Labubus come in many different types of design, and buyers do not know which one they have got until they unbox them.
Prices range from £13.50 to £211 depending on the rarity of the design.
Fake Labubu dolls, known as Lafufus, are sold for as little as £2.99. But scammers are now advertising the fakes as the real Labubus.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
In the last week alone, thousands were stopped via air cargo in fast parcels.
How to spot a fake Labubu
Check the look and feel of the toy
Trust your instincts. Does the product look and feel like an authentic product? Sellers of fakes often make spelling mistakes in their descriptions and sometimes on the products themselves.
If the packaging feels flimsy or shiny, this could be a sign it’s not a genuine Labubu.
Real Labubus also come with a QR code to verify the product but be wary of codes that take you to another site or a false look-alike PopMart site.
Price – Be wary of low prices and unfamiliar websites
Whether buying online or in person, Question the price if much cheaper than the genuine price you would expect to pay from PopMart. Many sellers of fakes use unfamiliar social media shops or websites with the aim of conning you out of your hard earned cash.
Always check the domain name is authentic and double check reviews and make sure they have a returns policy.
Fake platforms will often offer no way of contacting the business which is a sign that it may not exist.
Stay safe from potentially dangerous fake toys
Fake toys may look like the real thing and be much cheaper, but they can also be dangerous and cause harm.
Fake toys are not produced to the same high safety standards as real toys and could feature small, poorly made parts that could be a choking hazard or even contain potentially toxic chemicals.
If you believe you have purchased a fake Labubu or other toy for your child, you can report this to your local Trading Standards or to Crimestoppers online.
They can often look noticeably fake, with missing teeth and limbs falling off.
The small parts not only cause a choking hazard, but are made with cheap unregulated material which is highly flammable.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council seized more than 32 keyrings and 95 boxes of Lafufus that didn’t have adequate safety testing.
Some 370 were seized in North Ayrshire, and another 200 on the Isle of Man.
More boxes of dupers have also been discovered in Pontypridd, Holyhead, Lancashire and London.
The Intellectual Property Office said: ‘We’re seeing criminals increasingly exploit viral toy trends, with counterfeit versions of popular products appearing within days of them going viral.
‘These counterfeit toys are unlikely to have undergone the rigorous safety testing required for genuine products and can pose serious safety risks.
Children’s safety must always come first, and we encourage parents to always research products thoroughly and only purchase from trusted sources.’
What is a Labubu doll?
The dolls were created 10 years ago by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, but they’ve recently exploded in popularity.
That’s thanks in part to celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, K-pop star Lisa and even David Beckham posing for pictures and endorsing the toys.
Usually the dolls, sold by Chinese company Pop Mart, cost around 50yuan.
But global demand for the toys has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with crowds forming outside shops and even physically fighting over the items.
This explosion in popularity has driven major success for Pop Mart, which made 13million yuan in 2024, more than double its revenue for the previous year.
The brand opened shops in five new countries including Italy and Spain.
Part of Labubu’s success comes from selling the toys in ‘blind boxes’ – where shoppers only discover the design of the doll after buying the box and opening the packaging.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
