Overview

• Trading Standards teams across the UK confiscated more than 2,000 counterfeit Labubu dolls from 13 shops in North Tyneside in one month and carried out additional seizures in Greater Manchester, Humberside, North Somerset and Scotland.
• Chartered Trading Standards Institute lead officer Christine Heemskerk warned that fake dolls may contain toxic chemicals causing organ damage and have detachable parts like eyes and brittle limbs that pose choking hazards.
• Officials noted many knockoffs display visible defects such as poor stitching, fragile components and incorrect colouring or teeth count that signal unsafe replicas.
• Consumers are advised to inspect authenticity markers including holographic POP MART stickers with scannable QR codes, UV stamps on one foot, UKCA or CE marks and clear UK supplier information.
• Local councils including Dudley and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute emphasise buying from authorised retailers and reporting suspicious Labubu dolls to reduce safety and fraud risks.