Counterfeit Goods on Pinterest
Pinterest pins are used to drive buyers to external sites selling counterfeit branded goods, exploiting the platform's product-discovery format to reach brand-focused shoppers.
Part of: Counterfeit Goods
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Pinterest is heavily used for fashion, home decor, and beauty product inspiration — categories in which counterfeit goods are particularly prevalent. Pins linking to sites selling fake luxury goods, counterfeit cosmetics, or replica electronics can appear alongside genuine brand content in the same search results.
The platform's visual nature means buyers may be won over by a product photo before they have considered the legitimacy of the source.
How this scam works on Pinterest
Accounts create boards and pins organised around desirable brand categories. Pins use high-quality brand imagery and are tagged with popular product search terms. Links lead to external sites selling counterfeit goods at prices below genuine retail but above the true wholesale cost of the fake.
Buyers receive items that range from near-identical fakes to obvious low-quality copies. Legitimate brand packaging may be mimicked. Because the purchase occurs on an external site rather than within Pinterest, the platform's moderation systems are less able to intervene once the buyer has clicked through.
Common red flags
- Pins of branded luxury goods at prices significantly below authorised retail
- Linked website has a URL that incorporates brand names unofficially
- No brand authentication certificate, serial number verification, or authorised retailer status
- Website features many brand products across categories inconsistent with a genuine authorised dealer
- Payment options exclude credit cards in favour of methods with no buyer protection
- Customer review section on the site is either absent or consists of uniformly positive short comments
How to protect yourself
- Purchase branded goods only from brands' official stores or authorised retailers
- Verify an online retailer's authorised dealer status through the brand's official website
- Be aware that receiving counterfeit goods may carry legal risk
- Report counterfeit product pins to Pinterest and to the affected brand's IP team
- Use a credit card so you can dispute a purchase if goods are not as described
How to report it
- Report the pin to Pinterest using the 'Report pin' function and selecting the intellectual property category
- Notify the brand's official intellectual property or anti-counterfeiting contact
- Report to your national trading standards or consumer protection authority
Frequently asked questions
Can Pinterest pins link to counterfeit goods sites?
Yes, despite Pinterest's policies against intellectual property violations. Counterfeit sellers create pins that appear to be genuine product inspiration but link to fraudulent external sites. Always verify a retailer's legitimacy before purchasing through a Pinterest link.