Scam Ads Just Got Easier to Run on TikTok
TikTok has reportedly cut the ad violations that lead to an instant advertiser ban, and scam complaints rose soon after. Here's what it means for brands facing scam ads and fake stores.
For brands that sell online, paid social ads have become one of the most common places for impersonation to appear. A scam ad can borrow a brand's name, product photos and pricing, then send customers to a fake store while they are already in the mood to buy.
A recent investigation by Forbes suggests this has become easier on TikTok. According to internal policy documents reviewed by Forbes, the platform reduced the number of ad violations that lead to an immediate advertiser ban, and scam complaints rose in the months that followed.
What Changed
In late 2025, TikTok cut the number of policy violations that could get an advertiser banned straight away from 37 to 13, according to policy documents reviewed by Forbes. Offenses that no longer lead to an immediate ban include non-delivery scams, questionable financial investments, miracle weight-loss products and fake GLP-1 drugs.
Sources told Forbes the change was a revenue decision, with executives arguing the stricter rules were catching too many legitimate advertisers. TikTok told Forbes the allegations were false and that it "strictly prohibits fraudulent and deceptive advertising".
What the Numbers Show
Forbes analyzed more than 5,500 complaints posted to the Better Business Bureau, comparing the six months before and after the change. Scam reports overall rose 59%, reports mentioning TikTok rose 142%, and reports of non-delivery scams rose by more than 200%. The complaints are unverified, but many describe the same pattern: a heavily discounted product from a familiar brand that never arrives. Sellers impersonating Aerie, Hey Dude and Figs were among those named.
The discounts can be extreme. In one example found by Forbes, a $165 Ralph Lauren sweater was advertised for $2.14.
The same pattern shows up in Australia. The National Anti-Scam Centre reported that shopping scams were the most reported scam type involving financial loss in the first nine months of 2025, with losses up 19% to $8.6 million. Online content, including fake websites, advertisements and social media, was the most common way scammers first made contact, accounting for $122 million or 47% of reported losses.
What This Means for Brands
The policy change doesn't create a new type of scam. What it changes is how long scam ads can run, and who ends up doing the work to remove them.
Regulators Are Starting to Respond
In August 2026, the Singapore Police Force issued codes of practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act that require social media platforms, including TikTok, to prevent and promptly remove suspected scam ads and to verify advertisers' identities against government-issued records. Platforms must comply by 31 January 2027, as also reported by Forbes. Until rules like these are more widespread, brands may need to assume that some scam ads will stay live unless someone reports them.
Protecting Your Brand from Scam Ads
When platforms loosen their ad rules, more of the work of spotting brand impersonation falls to the brand. A few steps can help reduce the impact.
- Monitor ads, not just websites. Watch for sponsored posts that use your brand name, product images or pricing across social platforms.
- Look past the ad. Check the account, store and domain behind each ad, since these are often reused across campaigns.
- Report with evidence. Brand impersonation is one of the faster routes to removal, so capture screenshots, URLs and account details before reporting.
- Point customers to official channels. Hey Dude and Figs both told Forbes they urge customers to buy directly from their own websites. Making your official store easy to find helps customers check before they buy.
Protect Your Brand with Unphish
Unphish is a threat detection and disruption platform built to identify and take down phishing, scams and brand impersonation across the web, social media and mobile apps.
Unphish monitors for fraudulent social ads, impersonation profiles and the lookalike stores and domains behind them. Each case is backed by captured evidence and analyst review, and related cases are linked by shared infrastructure, so you can see the wider campaign rather than a single ad. With One-click Enforcement, takedown requests go to the right platform, registrar or host, and are tracked through to removal.
Learn more about ad fraud protection or book a personalized platform demonstration.