Here are a few Temu scams to be aware of:
Fake Temu codes and promotions: Scammers may use social media advertising to promise huge discounts or free money. These malicious ads are traps designed to get your personal details. Always verify codes through the official Temu website or app.
Gift card scams: Scammers may offer fake Temu gifts or gift cards to trick you into revealing personal information or making payments. If you want to buy a Temu gift card, buy it directly from the source on Temu.com or in the Temu app.
Affiliate link scams: Temu has legitimate programs for affiliates and influencers, but a scammer may pretend to be an affiliate to get you to click a dangerous link. Always verify that the source is trustworthy before clicking on Temu affiliate links off the platform — they could take you to a spoofed site.
Temu customer service impersonators: Tech support scams involve scammers posing as customer support representatives to trick you into sharing your account details or other personal information. Always use official channels for Temu support.
Scammers may pretend to be from Temu customer support.
What to do if you get scammed on Temu
If you get scammed on Temu, you should protect your finances, check your device for malware and signs of hacking, and report the fraud to authorities. Here’s how to report the scam:
Notify Temu customer service to report the incident or vendor.
Notify your bank and ask them to reverse the transaction and get your money back, if possible.
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
File a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website.
Use the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker to report fraud.
How to use Temu safely
To use Temu safely, you should follow online shopping best practices, such as checking vendor reviews, using secure payment methods, and installing a good online security app. Before creating an account, review Temu’s privacy policy so you can better understand how your personal information will be handled.
Here are some other ways you can improve your safety when using Temu:
Check Temu vendor reviews: Avoid vendors with mostly negative feedback or minimal reviews.
Look for verified sellers: Sellers with a blue badge with a tick next to their listings have been verified as an official brand by Temu.
Adjust your device settings: Use your app permissions to limit the data you're sharing with Temu.
Use an anti-tracking browser: Download and use a secure browser to help prevent web tracking.
Limit costly purchases: Avoid spending large sums of money on the platform to minimize your losses if you fall victim to a scam or other unforeseen event.
Protect your account: Create a strong, unique password for your Temu account.
Hide your email: Use an alias or secondary email address to protect your main email account from phishing emails that may target Temu customers.
Use secure payment methods: Avoid directly adding card details to your Temu account and opt for payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal.
Stay informed about Temu: Stay on top of news regarding Temu, its partner apps, and their business practices.
Use privacy and security tools: Hide your IP address with a VPN while you browse online for greater privacy, and use a reputable antivirus to help detect and remove viruses.
Is Temu a good company?
While it’s up to you to decide where you shop and why, here are several factors to consider: environmental footprint, product quality, ethical working conditions, and quality of service.
Temu claims to reduce retail waste with its reverse-manufacturing model — a strategy that sees vendors producing items according to customer demand.
However, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission reports that “Temu’s lack of affiliation with established brands has brought concerns of product quality as well as accusations of copyright infringement”. It also notes that the Better Business Bureau received 235 complaints about the e-commerce site and app in the 12 months prior to April 2023.
UK documentary “The Truth About Temu: Dispatches” found that certain items purchased through Temu had harmful levels of chemicals, such as lead and cadmium. In response, the company said it “will continue to devote significant resources to improving consumer protection” and “immediately remove any product listings in question pending a review.”
Temu has also stated a zero-tolerance policy for forced labor, although the U.S. government’s Select Committee on the CCP says “Temu is doing next to nothing to keep its supply chains free from slave labor.”
Lastly, Temu has been accused by users of spamming practices. Some Trustpilot reviews note the high volume of unwanted emails after a purchase, although it should be possible for users simply to unsubscribe.
If you're on social media or using Google Shopping, chances are you've been bombarded with ads for Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform that offers lower prices compared to its Western counterparts. ESET lists the biggest threats, as well as advice for consumers.
$6 for a pair of sneakers. A computer keyboard for $10. Given the sheer variety of items, numbering in the tens of millions, and the number of price-breaking offers, many inflation-weary Westerners have visited the site, to the extent that Temu is the most downloaded shopping app worldwide. Meanwhile, some others question what Temu's rise signifies in terms of environmental impact and product safety, as well as whether the store is actually legal. Let's explore some of these issues here.
Who is Temu?
Temu, the western arm of Chinese online retail giant Pingduoduo, essentially gives shoppers the opportunity to buy directly from Chinese suppliers. It also offers users the opportunity to earn points for money from future purchases, either through games or by encouraging others to visit the website.
"However, not everything is rosy and many customer reviews are not positive," warns Phil Muncaster from global digital security firm ESET. “At the time of writing, the website has just a 2.5/5 rating from US Better Business Bureau (BBB) visitors, while a third of Trustpilot reviews have a one-star rating. Users often criticize Temu for inbox spam, difficulty receiving returns, and items arriving in poor condition or not at all. Concerns have also been raised about the use of potential forced labor in product supply chains."
A US government agency has also accused Temu and fellow Chinese retailer Shein of potential privacy risks, which may echo concerns that have long surrounded the data practices of TikTok, another wildly popular Chinese interests online service.
Of course, the above does not mean that Temu is a scam website. However, fraudsters will always go to the places where there are users and that means they will choose the Chinese retailer with the orange logo in order to trick unsuspecting consumers.
The 5 biggest scams
According to Muncaster from ESET, these are some of the most common tactics that have been detected in Temu:
1) Nude photos of celebrities
If you want to earn cash or redeemable rewards when shopping with Temu, you can do so by encouraging others to sign up and entering the relevant referral code they gave you. However, scammers have used social media to trick users into stealing these referral codes. One method is to post sly photos of a celebrity (eg on Twitter, TikTok, etc.) with an encrypted message implying that users can access nude photos if they enter Temu's referral code. Of course, there are no photos and the cheater just collects more rewards.
2) Benefits in Fortnite/Roblox games
A similar tactic is this: the scammer will post on social media advertising that users can gain access to a free Roblox Robux gift card, which will allow them to purchase upgrades for their avatars or purchase special abilities on the website . All they have to do to claim the reward is to enter Temu's referral code. Another popular lure is to offer rare skins of the Fortnite game. Once again, there is of course no offer. The scammer is simply taking advantage of the curiosity of social media users.
3) Counterfeit products
Although Temu's sister company, Pingduoduo, has been listed on the US list of "Notorious Markets for Counterfeit Products and Piracy", there is no indication that Temu has any counterfeit products. But there have been reports of copycat products hovering close to, but not exceeding, the limits of patent infringement. If a user types in a search for, say, an Apple product, they may be presented with similar products at a fraction of the price. The unsuspecting buyer who is not familiar with e-commerce this could lead him to think seriously and change his mind about the product he originally wanted to buy.
4) Merchandise from celebrities
Another social media scam that takes advantage of Temu's pulling power involves fake posts by celebrities pretending to have a business partnership with the Chinese e-commerce marketplace. The ultimate goal here too is to get fans to visit the website and enter the referral code in order to purchase discounted products endorsed by the celebrity. Once again, there is no such deal and the codes just earn the scammer more cash/perks than Temu.
5) 90% off scams
You should also be wary of website advertisements and spam emails, which promise huge discounts on a wide range of products included in the Temu catalog. They will use classic social engineering techniques, such as creating a sense of urgency with limited-time offers and amazing deals. However, clicking will take you to a phishing website, where fraudsters will collect your card details. Now they have your personal and financial information, but there is no chance you will ever receive your order.
How to stay safe while shopping on the Temu platform
To its credit, Temu is beefing up its security by launching a bug bounty program while also trying to combat fraud, says ESET's Phil Muncaster. It recently won preliminary injunctions in the US against phishing websites.
However, you should also be vigilant and remember these safety tips:
- Never click on links in spam emails or advertisements.
- If you want to check a Temu offer advertised on the Internet, visit the website independently.
- Do not store your payment information in your account. Also, set up two-factor authentication (2FA) so your account is protected with more than just a password. Temu now offers 2FA by SMS, which, while not even remotely as secure as hardware security keys or even dedicated mobile authentication apps, is better than nothing.
- Don't fall for offers that ask you to enter a referral code on Temu - especially those involving celebrities.
- Always carefully consider what you buy to avoid disappointment later on.
- Temu offers special offers and low prices. But the huge discounts across the board could very well be a scam. Check online to see if anyone else has reported.
More generally, be careful about how much data you reveal and what kind of permissions you grant to the Temu app or any other mobile app.
Here are some measures that are easy to implement if you are seriously concerned about disclosing too much of your personal data on Temu or other online stores and markets.
Consider making your purchases from the platform's website rather than its app.
- Avoid logging into Temu using your social media account or linking it to your other online accounts.
- Use single-use credit cards or payment services like PayPal to avoid the damage that a breach of your credit card information can cause.
- Ship your order to a PO Box instead of your home address.
- Although there is no evidence that the website is misleading, fraudsters can try to use it to deceive buyers. We advise you to be careful whenever you shop online there.
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