Labubu or Lafufu? Australian consumer watchdog warns of scams online as toy mania spreads

The pointy-eared, sharp-toothed dolls – designed by Hong Kong artist Lung Ka-sing and sold by Beijing-based Pop Mart – have attained cult status, commanding eye-popping prices and sparking in-store chaos as fans from Sydney to Singapore and London line up for hours to snag the viral fashion accessory.

With the craze for these figurines exploding, a consumer protection agency in Australia’s New South Wales state has alerted prospective buyers about “Lafufus”, imitations of the Chinese pop culture sensation being peddled online.

“Labubu toys are all the rage right now – but beware, some online sellers are tricking shoppers with counterfeit Lafufu [fake Labubu] products or not delivering at all,” NSW Fair Trading said in a social media post on Tuesday.

The watchdog also pointed out differences between the two versions: the original comes in a matte packaging, while the sham one’s is shiny. According to the watchdog, Labubu has nine pointed teeth, whereas Lafufu may have more or fewer than nine teeth.

It urged consumers to buy the product from legitimate businesses online and verify the website’s authenticity before paying.

But some social media users viewed the advisory as trivial, saying the agency should focus on other fake goods like watches and perfumes.

“Is this how my taxes are spent?” asked a user.