Hundreds of thousands of fake sellers and bogus listings have been removed from the platform in 2025.
TikTok Shop has published its Safety Report for January to June 2025, which demonstrates the increasing prevalence of fake products.
In just six months, over 70 million fake products were blocked, while over 700,000 seller accounts were shut down for fraudulent sales. A huge 1.4 million sellers were also prevented from registration after failing to pass verification.
With AI making fake reviews and listings more prevalent than ever across ecommerce platforms and marketplace apps, we explore how honest sellers should respond.
Fake sellers, AI listings, and fake reviews
TikTok Shop’s latest Safety Report comes from its Transparency Center. The report is designed to give a clear view of how the platform vets sellers, monitors activity, and works to keep both buyers and businesses safe.
According to reports, one of the reasons TikTok is tightening its grip is that AI image and video generators are making it much easier for bad actors to create fake products.
Scammers are now using advanced language and image models to make convincing brand identities, product packaging, and customer feedback to dupe users. On the surface, these listings can look legitimate, making it much harder for shoppers to tell what’s real and what’s not.
This kind of activity can affect genuine sellers who might find their listings drowned out by fraudulent competitors who game the system. And when fake reviews and fabricated branding start circulating, TikTok’s trust signals, like ratings and reviews, begin to lose legitimacy.
TikTok takes several steps to screen sellers before they are allowed to list products, such as requesting identity documents. New sellers are also placed on a probation period, during which time they face limits on uploads and orders.
Sellers that are found using heavily AI-enhanced imagery or fake reviews may now attract more scrutiny. But AI might also be the solution. TikTok says it is also using a mix of AI and human reviewers to block prohibited products and ban fraudulent sellers.
How to protect your TikTok sales
While it’s certainly positive that TikTok is becoming stricter on scams, it doesn’t change the fact that AI is making sham products and sellers more sophisticated. To stand out against the sea of fake profiles, businesses can take action in a number of ways.
Always try to use authentic product photos, or LIVE selling, to promote your products. If any visuals are AI-enhanced, label them as such. Tempting as they might be, brands should also avoid paid or fake reviews like the plague, since TikTok is actively targeting review fraud. Promote genuine customer testimonials or, better yet, video reviews – these are harder to fake.
Another tip? Make sure your seller verification is completed early, and keep your listing history clean to avoid encountering unnecessary delays in getting up and running.
With countless fake products and sellers being removed, consumers will increasingly seek authenticity from businesses.
