The social commerce platform is grappling with a growing phenomenon: the proliferation of fraudulent items, many of which are generated using artificial intelligence. This technology is being leveraged by cybercriminals to invent fictitious brands and deceptive products that are offered on TikTok’s digital marketplace.

According to reports from specialized media, this situation is not unique to TikTok Shop but represents a challenge shared by other e-commerce giants. Fraudsters are using generative AI tools to design convincing replicas and non-existent items, with the goal of persuading customers to purchase goods they will never receive.

An executive from TikTok Shop described the situation as organized criminal activity, where scammers aim to collect payments with no intention of fulfilling orders, only to disappear with the consumers’ money.

Although online scams are not new, artificial intelligence has added a new layer of sophistication, making it significantly more difficult to identify these fraudulent practices. In response, the affected platforms are fighting back with their own AI systems. TikTok, for example, has implemented a dual strategy that combines automated algorithms with human oversight to identify and block malicious sellers.

In a recent statement, the company revealed that during the first half of 2025, it prevented the publication of over 70 million products, representing a 40% increase compared to the previous period. This rise reflects both the expansion of the seller community on the platform and continuous improvements in its mechanisms for detecting prohibited content.

This landscape is further complicated by other recently reported criminal schemes, where scammers have executed coordinated campaigns to steal cryptocurrency and personal user information, demonstrating that the digital ecosystem faces multifaceted and constantly evolving threats.