S'pore woman, 37, buys '1st-generation Labubu doll' for S$220, finds it fake, calls police

A woman paid S$220 for a supposed "first-generation Labubu doll", only to receive a counterfeit product from the unapologetic seller.

Enraged, the victim, a 37-year-old woman surnamed Du (transliteration), called the police.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Du said she saw an advertisement in a Facebook group about the "first-generation Labubu doll".

She contacted the seller, who told her the doll cost S$220.

Since the doll is a relatively rare first-generation product, Du relented and paid the full price despite the retail price being S$39.90.

She explained that the rare dolls were frequently out of stock, and scalpers were selling the dolls at much more exorbitant prices.

"I asked her to provide the product QR code authentication, which seemed quite reliable," she told Shin Min.

Warning signs

The seller told Du that she urgently needed money as she wanted to buy concert tickets, persuading the latter to transfer the amount to the former's bank account on Dec. 2.

Both met up on Dec. 4 in Pasir Ris, and the seller handed the doll to Du.

Upon inspecting the doll, Du realised the doll was a counterfeit product as the doll looked "wrong".

An avid Labubu collector who has spent over S$10,000 collecting the dolls, Du said what alluded her to the product's inauthenticity was the uneven colouring of the hands and face.

She asked the seller for a refund.

However, the seller refused and looked unapologetic.

"She wasn't surprised at all, as if she knew she was selling fakes. I asked her to refund the money, but she kept saying she had no money and didn't seem to care," Du shared.

Called police and seller's parents

She called the police on the spot.

The authorities suggested that she go to the small claims tribunal to claim compensation.

She also suggested to the seller several ways in which she could repay her, including repaying her in instalments, but the latter refused.

She then called the seller's parents, who again told her to call the police.

Shouldn't sell fakes at a high price: Du

Du said that this was her first time encountering a fake.

"I might let it go if the price is lower. But when it's so expensive, and still, a fake, it really makes me angry," she said.

The experience scared her, she said, and has since turned down other offers from sellers who approached her.

Top photo via Shin Min and Pop Mart