From sheep-shaped slippers, to supposedly handmade blankets, to artisanal stuffed animals: behind these heartwarming videos flooding TikTok since spring lies a massive online scam.

Indeed, footage of distressed elderly people, coupled with entirely fabricated stories, are being used to market mass-produced goods from… China.

Manipulated Viral Videos

For several months now, accounts like Ferme Cocoon, Pawlyyy, and Wooffooty have been posting on TikTok highly formatted videos: an elderly man or woman in tears, charming animals, a few shots of sewing or crafting, followed by an urgent plea to support a struggling small business.

Viewers, moved by these scenes, are encouraged to watch a few seconds longer, to like, to comment, and most importantly, to click on a link to make a purchase.

Why You Should Never Reheat These Foods in the Microwave – The Hidden Dangers Experts Warn About
I tried the top 5 guard dogs—here’s what makes these breeds the ultimate protectors

At first glance, these stories appear genuine. However, an investigation by AFP Factuel revealed that the images used are misappropriated. Some are from well-known content creators, like the Portuguese Fernanda Franck and her grandmother, whose videos were used without permission to stage false cries for help.

In other instances, the same faces are shown in different contexts: a grandfather depicted as a distressed farmer in one video and as a gothic item seller in another.

This strategy plays on emotional responses. “These methods exploit the sensitivity of internet users to prompt them to make purchases,” notes Jérôme Notin, director of the platform Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.

Products from Dropshipping

In these videos, the showcased items are far from handmade, and a simple reverse image search reveals the same items. Slippers, cat toys, or canvas bags available on AliExpress or Shein at much lower prices are being sold at exorbitant rates.

This fits the dropshipping model, where e-commerce sites set up in just a few days offer products from foreign suppliers, often selling them at a significantly higher price.

As part of this investigation, the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control) points out that this model is entirely legal, but that it becomes deceptive when it relies on lies about the origins or purposes of the sales.

On sites identified such as Ferme Cocoon or Refuge des tinois canins noted by AFP, no legal notices, no addresses, nor any founder’s identity are available. And as for the promises of donations to feed animals or save a farm, these too prove unverifiable.

A Scam Tailored for TikTok

This type of fraud leans on the viral elements of TikTok: melancholic music, endearing animals, personal stories, and highlighting a vulnerable figure.

According to a study by France Num, 90% of Generation Z members regularly make online purchases. Being the primary target audience of TikTok, scammers thus recognize this demographic as a prime target…