Surge in fake TikTok stores scams target entrepreneurs

A significant rise in e-commerce scams has emerged, with fraudsters posing as attractive women on social media to lure users into engaging in fake business opportunities that claim to offer profit from reselling Amazon products.

Scammers start by chatting users up in a friendly manner before claiming to have launched a "zero-cost" online store on TikTok, where they resell products from Amazon for profits and lure aspiring entrepreneurs in with the opportunity to join this venture.

Many victims initially see small profits but later face a flood of orders, where they end up paying large sums or even resort to loans for inventory, only to be scammed.

The deceptive TikTok store's website often displays images of well-known shopping centers in Hong Kong.

A victim said he initially made a small profit from a sale. However, he ended up losing about HK$10,000 after a customer ordered a drone, only to find out he had been scammed.

This kind of fraud has spread widely across Asia, with victims in mainland China, too.