MECCA, Woolworths, Kmart: TikTok users warned after bizarre AI-generated scam videos flood site
TikTok users are being warned to stay vigilant after bizarre AI-generated scam videos claiming to provide vouchers for various stores, including beauty giant MECCA, have been circulating on the platform.
TikTok users are being warned to stay vigilant after a bizarre scam has hit the platform.
Scores of videos from users claiming to be former employees of the Australian beauty giant, MECCA, have been circulating online.
The strange AI-generated videos come from users who claim to have been fired by MECCA and have captions outlining “what customers need to know.”
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Despite dozens of these posts flooding the platform, certain videos have gained traction with one video amassing almost 880,000 views.
“Don’t pay full price if you’re shopping Mecca anyway. There’s a legit way people are getting a chance to win $500 in gift card / discount value, and it’s the only silver lining after this hell,” the caption read, followed by a link to a suspicious website.
The comments are filled with messages from accounts saying that the gift card worked, however it’s unclear whether or not real people or bots are behind these accounts.
The user outlines other things customers “need to know” including the company’s 90-day return policy and a supposed “out of stock” tactic where employees are “encouraged to say unavailable for hot/exclusive items when back pulls mess metrics or push other sales for targets.”
In a statement provided to The Nightly, a MECCA spokesperson said the company is a aware of these scam posts.
“We’re aware of several AI-generated posts circulating on social media that falsely claim to be MECCA team members. This content is entirely fabricated.
“We’re treating this matter seriously and are working directly with the social media platforms to have the content removed as quickly as possible to prevent any confusion or concern for our customers.”
MECCA isn’t the only store targeted by scammers on TikTok, however, as AI-generated videos of users claiming to be employees of Woolworths, Coles, Kmart and American beauty outlet Ulta have all appeared on the site.
The posts follow a similar script, with captions outlining what company’s “don’t want you to know” before sharing links to gift cards worth upwards of $500.
Recently, AI has caused scams to surge on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
TikTok’s Safety Center details different types of scams that may appear on the platform, including “unrealistic returns scams”.
“Free goods and services scams promise users returns of free goods and/or services, including coupons, store credit, gift cards... usually in an attempt to scam the user of an ‘administrative fee’ or steal their personal information.”
“As technology advances, so do scam tactics.”
TikTok encourages users to report suspicious content under “Frauds and Scams”.
