Fake toys, actual harms: specialists warn mother and father of harmful pretend toys

Main developments:

• 259,000 pretend toys price over £3.5m have been seized on the UK border up to now this 12 months – equal to 24 tonnes of products 

• 90% of those – 236,000 gadgets – had been counterfeit Labubu dolls, seized earlier than they may attain UK shoppers 

• 75% of seized counterfeit toys fail security checks with banned chemical substances and choking hazards discovered, whereas 46% of these buying them skilled critical issues of safety 

• With seven in ten toy consumers motivated by value, and simply 27% citing security as a purchase order consideration, a brand new marketing campaign goals to focus on the hidden harms of faux toys  

Counterfeit toys are placing youngsters in danger, prompting pressing warnings from the federal government, Trading Standards groups and little one security specialists. Home Office figures reveal that round 259,000 pretend toys price over £3.5m have already been seized by Border Force on the UK border this 12 months. Shocking findings following raids additionally present that 75% of counterfeit toys seized failed crucial security checks.  

The “Fake Toys, Real Harms” marketing campaign – spearheaded by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) together with main toy retailers, native authorities and social media influencers – is highlighting the hazards recognized by knowledgeable testing of the products seized. These embody counterfeit toys containing banned chemical substances linked to most cancers, harmful choking hazards, and different critical dangers – together with in toys marketed at toddlers and infants. 

The security issues chime with shopper experiences of counterfeit toys: analysis for the IPO  discovered practically half (46%) of those that bought counterfeits reported issues starting from toys breaking virtually immediately to unsafe labelling, poisonous smells and even reviews of sickness in youngsters.  

Awareness is excessive, however security comes final

Research for the IPO additionally exhibits that whereas 92% of toy consumers are conscious of counterfeit merchandise being offered within the UK, saving cash – slightly than contemplating security – is presently high of thoughts when comes to buying selections. Seven in ten toy consumers prioritise value whereas 43% will make purchases in response to a requirement from their little one. Quality (48%) and model recognition (46%) are additionally influencing selections.  

Safety, nonetheless, ranks far decrease in shoppers’ consideration: solely 27% of toy consumers cite this as an element that influences their choice, highlighting the necessity to elevate consciousness of the dangers. 

The Fake Toys, Real Harms marketing campaign warns mother and father and current consumers that counterfeit toys, whereas usually cheaper, may have devastating penalties for youngsters’s well being and security.  

Seizure figures reveal an industrial-scale drawback that goes far past viral tendencies

Figures from the Home Office underscore the dimensions of the issue. In 2025 alone, customs and enforcement officers at UK Border Force have up to now seized 53 separate counterfeit toy shipments getting into the UK via air cargo, courier and parcel hubs. In whole, 259,812 counterfeit toys and associated merchandise had been intercepted – equal to 24 tonnes of products – earlier than they may attain shoppers. The retail worth of this stuff is estimated at practically £3.5 million. 

One of the starkest examples comes from counterfeit Labubu dolls – a vastly widespread collectible toy vary. Since the beginning of 2025, greater than 200,000 counterfeit Labubu dolls have already been seized earlier than they may attain UK shoppers, accounting for round 90% of all counterfeit toys seized within the UK this 12 months. Experts have since valued the haul at practically £3.3 million.   

But specialists are warning that the Labubu development is simply the tip of the iceberg: criminals concerned in counterfeiting are concentrating on a variety of toys throughout a number of classes, leaving youngsters uncovered to unsafe, poor-quality merchandise throughout the market. 

The IPO’s Deputy Director of Enforcement, Helen Barnham stated:

With counterfeit toys, what you see is never what you get. Behind the packaging could be hidden choking hazards, poisonous chemical substances and defective elements that put youngsters in actual hazard. These merchandise have bypassed each security test the legislation requires, which is why we’re working with our companions to maintain these harmful fakes out of UK houses. Our ‘Fake Toys, Real Harm’ marketing campaign goals to boost consciousness amongst mother and father and current consumers of the hidden harms related to counterfeits. Child security should come first, so we’re urging mother and father – please don’t let your little one be the tester.

Phillip Holiday, Border Force regional director stated:

Border Force has seized over 259,000 harmful counterfeit toys price £3.5 million this 12 months, stopping them from reaching UK households. We work with companions to establish and intercept these harmful merchandise at UK borders, disrupting felony networks and defending youngsters from unsafe toys.

Help to identify the hidden harms

Research for the IPO exhibits that greater than half of toy consumers (58%) would suppose twice about shopping for a counterfeit in the event that they knew the security dangers, and 52% would welcome instruments to assist establish real merchandise. It’s why the Fake Toys, Real Harms marketing campaign is shining a lightweight on these risks in a placing new manner. 

To carry the problem to life, the marketing campaign consists of graphics of mocked-up toy packaging that expose the hidden harms present in counterfeit merchandise. They’ve been designed to be shared on social media to assist mother and father and current consumers unfold the phrase on-line – the place recognizing a pretend is very troublesome as a result of you’ll be able to’t examine the toy up shut. These could be discovered at area www.faketoys.co,uk. The marketing campaign has the backing of social media influencers, main toy retailers, Trading Standards and native authorities.  

Parenting influencer, ‘Budgeting Mum’, stated: 

As a father or mother you simply need the peace of thoughts that the toys you purchase are secure in your youngsters. What appears like a cut price can change into one thing unsafe and even harmful. With so many individuals shopping for toys on-line now, it may be even tougher to identify the fakes. You can’t maintain the toy in your arms or test the packaging correctly. That’s why this marketing campaign issues: it offers mother and father like me the arrogance to know what to search for, so we will shield our children.

How to keep away from shopping for counterfeit toys

Before you purchase:

• keep on with trusted retailers or official model web sites and be cautious with third-party sellers on marketplaces

• test opinions rigorously. Look past the five-star ones and skim the negatives

• be cautious of costs that look “too good to be true”. Counterfeits are sometimes less expensive

• be sure the toy has not been recalled by looking out the model and product identify

When the toy arrives:

• search for a UKCA or CE security mark and a UK contact tackle on the packaging

• test the packaging appears skilled and consists of age warnings

• examine the toy: no free small elements, stuffing, or unsecured batteries

If you see a Counterfeit or unsafe toy:

• don’t give it to your little one. Return it immediately

• depart a evaluate to warn different mother and father

• report the vendor to the platform you acquire from

• contact Trading Standards to assist cease harmful toys reaching different households

Notes to editors

• product testing carried out by Trading Standards and the IPO confirmed 21 out of 28 counterfeit toys examined failed security checks

• analysis was carried out for the IPO by AudienceNet between 2 to five September 2025 amongst a nationally consultant pattern of UK adults who’ve bought toys for a kid previously 12 months

• the 118 separate counterfeit shipments could embody cargo crates containing a number of articles of counterfeit toys, parcels and so forth

• Border Force seizure figures, from January to August 2025 in relation to toys consists of all counterfeit toy seizures figures throughout a number of ports and for a number of manufacturers from January 2025 to August 2025 

• all seizure figures mirrored on this launch are along with any seizures by Trading Standards or Police forces