Fake TikTok Shops now fuel one in five phishing blocks — and Black Friday could make it worse

Fake TikTok Shops are now responsible for one in every five phishing blocks, with the problem likely to worsen ahead of Black Friday, according to a new report by Surfshark. Between May and September 2026, a single suspected counterfeit TikTok Shop domain accounted for roughly 320,000 phishing blocks, equating to about 19% of the 1.6 million phishing-category blocks recorded by the company's web content blocker during the same period.

This surge was particularly pronounced in October, with the domain generating another 96,711 blocks within the first 20 days of the month.

The findings raise concerns ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year, highlighting the importance of vigilance when shopping online. A single fake storefront contributed to a significant jump in phishing blocks, rising from 16,995 in May to 125,413 in September, peaking at 22.2% of all phishing blocks in August. Total phishing-category blocks surged by 524% between April and September, and blocks per protected device increased by 83%, indicating that the growth is not solely due to more users using the tool.

France experienced the sharpest rise in phishing exposure, with blocks per protected device increasing by 159%, while other European countries such as Italy (99%), Spain (86%), the UK (54%), and Germany (38%) also saw notable increases. In the US, exposure nearly doubled, with blocks per protected device rising by 87%, and total phishing blocks growing by nearly sixfold, from 20,519 to 122,580.

To stay safe during Black Friday, Surfshark advises users to verify the authenticity of websites, manually type trusted addresses if a redirect appears suspicious, avoid promotional links sent via SMS or messaging apps, and consider using single-use virtual cards for payments. Additionally, the company suggests relying on security tools like the web content blocker to catch any potential threats that may slip through.