24-05-2025
Major scam warning as Aussies caught in viral toy frenzy conned with fakes: 'Burst into tears'
Australians wanting to jump on the Labubu frenzy are being warned about a raft of fake toys that look almost identical to the real deal. Aussies have gone gangbusters for the monster plushies that usually retail for around $32, with some standing in line for hours to get their hands on one.
Stores rapidly sell out of Labubus, and it's leaving shoppers upset and fed up, thinking they'll never get to hop on the craze. But some have come across stores selling them a little cheaper than normal and these shoppers have quickly discovered they're not an official Labubu.
This scam has become so popular that the fake toys have earned the nickname Lafufu.
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The tricky part about this scam is that not only is it almost impossible to tell the fake from the real apart, but you might not know you've been scammed until you take the box out of the toy.
That's because part of Labubu's whole craze is that it's a mystery box, and you won't know which of the six different toys you'll get until you take it out of the bag.
But content creator HeyAsharie has discovered the subtle differences on the box, as well as the toy itself, to help you tell the difference.A Labubu and Lafufu box look virtually identical to the untrained eye.
But the Lafufu's colours are a bit more intense, and the Labubu one contains the Pop Mart logo on the top left, which is the Chinese toy company that makes them.
One side that contains warning labels and other information is much more detailed on the Labubu box and takes up almost the whole side, while the Lafufu's information only takes up a small portion.
The other side is pretty much indistinguishable from each other and shows the six different types of toys., but the Lafufu's colours are, again, a bit brighter.
The top's colours are slightly different and the way the box rips open is different due to different manufacturing.
When you pull the bag out of the box, they are fairly similar, however the Labubu has the Pop Mart logo on it and The Monsters written on the top.
When it comes to the toy, again, they could be twins if you didn't know any better.
However, the Lafufu's legs are wider than the Labubu, its eyes are a different material, its ears are further apart, its face is wider and its nose is a different colour.
Some Lafufus can look very different to the real deal depending on who has made them, but HeyAsharie's video highlighted how some scammers have deliberately made them look very similar.
Sydney mum Lisa revealed her husband was duped into getting a Lafufu for their daughter after spotting what they thought was a real one at a small pop up store in their local shopping centre.
'[My daughter] kept talking to me about these little dolls I knew nothing about - except for the fact that people were lining up for hour HOURS to get one. And don't even get me started on the price,' she told Kidspot.
However, this Lafufu was being sold for $25, which should have been the first warning sign that it was not a legit Labubu.
When the daughter realised it was a fake, she burst into tears.
'While I initially laughed at how bad the fake was, I felt bad for her and wondered how many other Aussies are getting scammed out there with people taking advantage of a craze and advantage of parents who don't know what they're meant to be looking for,' Lisa said.
So, take this as a warning if you spot what you think is a Labubu being sold somewhere.
While all the signs should be on the box, you'll usually be able to tell if it's real by the hordes of people lining up to get one.
People have even started selling them on eBay for up to $1, in to access your portfolio
