Forbes reported on October 19, 2026, that a TikTok account it operated received counterfeit-currency ads from more than 54 advertiser accounts during the preceding three months. Many of the ads directed users to private Telegram groups for orders and payment. The count reflects Forbes’s account, not TikTok as a whole.
What Forbes reported, and how TikTok responded
The ads promoted counterfeit euros and British pounds, along with a handful offering U.S. dollars. TikTok told Forbes it had banned the accounts the outlet identified and that the ads violated its rules for users and advertisers.
In the week after Forbes contacted TikTok, the outlet saw seven more accounts advertising fake money. After Forbes contacted the company about those accounts, TikTok removed four; three were still active when the report was published. Forbes updated its report on October 20 with additional comment from TikTok.
TikTok told Forbes that ads can take up to 24 hours to appear in its ad library. The company also said EU requirements can lead to violating ads and advertiser names being removed from the library.
TikTok’s policy prohibits counterfeiting
TikTok’s advertising policy lists document falsification, forgery and counterfeiting as prohibited dishonest behavior. It also says accounts that exhibit patterns of abuse may be suspended or banned. The policy sets out the platform’s rules; TikTok’s response to Forbes describes its actions on the accounts identified in that report. Read TikTok’s advertising policy on deceptive practices.
The TikTok-to-Telegram route was reported in July
On July 3, 2026, Sam Tullen published an investigation that also showed TikTok ads leading to Telegram and included an anonymous buyer interview. That earlier reporting is separate from Forbes’s later account sample.
