People have been warned against purchasing the popular ‘Labubu’ toys from unverified online stores, after a number of scams were reported this week.

The trending Labubu “macaron” version has been in great demand since Lisa BLACKPINK posted pictures of herself holding a Labubu box in her social media. This led to a price hike and low stocks.

PM’s Office Minister Puangpetch Chunla-iad is warning collectors that some online stores are now taking advantage of the trend by offering the toy for sale at over 10,000 baht.

In some cases, consumers have been tricked into buying fake Labubu dolls, while some did not even receive the product after making the payment.

Puangpetch, who is also in charge of the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), cautioned that some online sellers are exploiting the Labubu fever by selling fake or low quality toys, with some stores just taking the money and deleting the website.

“Trustworthy stores should have locations and phone numbers listed clearly. Such stores should also be registered as online businesses with the department of business development.

Customers can verify the stores’ credibility with the DBD mark and look for positive reviews. Reliable stores should have been open for at least a year,” Puangpetch advised.

She also noted that those who are found guilty of deceiving consumers out of money, or selling products that do not match the description, are subject to fines up to 60,000 baht and/or a 3-year prison term, according to Criminal Code §343.

If found guilty of fraud, they could face up to 5 years in prison and/or a 100,000 baht fine.

Victims of such scams can contact the 1166 OCPB hotline, use the OCPB applications or Thaipoliceonline.com