Scalper, Bots, and the Fight for Trust

High-demand products have always captured attention — from concert tickets to limited-edition sneakers, rare collectibles, and pop culture merchandise. Fans scramble to secure releases, only to face sold-out notices, inflated resale prices, and sometimes outright scams.

Where scarcity and hype meet, fraud often follows. Scalpers and bots create artificial scarcity, while fraudsters exploit visibility gaps to sell counterfeit or misrepresented products. The result? Consumers frustrated, brands exposed, and trust eroded.

Take the Mokoko (Labubu) figurines from Pop Mart. These limited-edition collectibles, beloved for their quirky designs, retail for SGD 115.90 but have been resold in Singapore for over SGD 750. The frenzy highlights intense demand, but the bigger issue is the proliferation of counterfeit dolls, often called “Lafufus”, sold online, via social media shops, or by unverified sellers.

Bots and Scalpers: Artificial Scarcity in Action

In many industries – tickets, sneakers, electronics – scalpers use automated bots to acquire products faster than humans can:

Bots can bypass “one-per-customer” limits, snatching dozens of figures in seconds.
They overwhelm online checkouts, ensuring scalpers acquire most of the drop.
Proxy networks mask their location, making it look like purchases come from multiple buyers.

The effect is clear: genuine buyers miss out, scarcity is inflated and secondary markets boom. This artificially driven scarcity is a key factor that creates fertile ground for fraud.

Fraud Exploits Scarcity

Where scarcity and hype exist, fraudsters thrive. High-demand, low-visibility environments allow fake or misrepresented items to infiltrate marketplaces.

Common tactics include:

Fake Websites/Sellers: Fraudsters set up professional-looking sites or sell via TikTok shops and other unverified channels, offering deep discounts to lure buyers.
Misleading QR Codes: Some fakes include QR codes that redirect to Pop Mart’s official website, creating a false sense of authenticity.
Deceptive Packaging: Counterfeiters mimic original boxes, sometimes adding fake holographic stickers or claiming the item is an “older batch” to excuse differences.
Partial Refund Offers: If buyers discover the product is fake, some sellers offer a partial refund to avoid full reporting, letting the scam continue.

Even experienced collectors can be tricked. The issue isn’t always fake items, it’s unverifiable trust. Buyers often can’t tell if a product is genuine, legitimately sourced, or previously claimed.

The Hidden Risks For Consumers

High-demand markets carry multiple risks:

Price inflation: Scalpers often resell at 2-10x the original price.
Fraudulent sellers: Listings may disappear after payment, leaving buyers empty-handed.
Uncertain validity: Even if the product exists, there’s no way to verify ownership or whether it has been redeemed, duplicated, or cancelled.
Data exposure: Some scam sites collect payment and personal details for phishing or identity theft.

Why Traditional Authentication Fails

Historically, buyers have relied on visual inspection, packaging, and official holograms to verify collectibles. But counterfeiters are catching up. High-quality imitations now replicate every visible detail — even QR codes can be faked.

In today’s market, authenticity without traceability is no longer enough. Collectors need answers to questions like:

Who produced this item?
Was it officially distributed by Pop Mart?
Has it ever been resold or previously scanned?

Without this level of visibility, even legitimate items can be abused or misrepresented.

Connecting the Dots: How Scarcity Enables Fraud

The Mokoko craze highlights a clear causal chain:

Limited Stock & Hype: Each drop generates massive demand, amplified by social media and fan communities.
Bots Accelerate Acquisition: Automated scripts grab inventory faster than any human, leaving genuine collectors empty-handed.
Scarcity Drives Secondary Markets: Limited supply and high demand inflate resale prices, creating lucrative targets for fraudsters.
Fraud Exploits Information Gaps: Counterfeiters and scammers insert fake products, misleading QR codes, and deceptive packaging into the frenzy.

In short, bots and scalpers create conditions where counterfeiters thrive, and consumers bear the brunt.

AccessReal: Adding a Layer of Trust

This is where AccessReal comes in to bridge the gap between authenticity and ownership, giving both consumers and brands a protective layer of transparency.

Proof of Authenticity and Origin
- Every product or ticket is tagged with a unique digital identity by our AccessReal Code/Mark. This identity is impossible to forge and can be scanned to confirm legitimacy.
Instant Verification
- Before paying, consumers can scan the AR code/mark to check for product origin and brand verification
- This prevents falling prey to fake listings or misrepresented items. Even if the product exists, buyers can verify its legitimacy directly with the brand.
Detect Abnormal Activity
- Brands gain real-time insight into unusual distribution or resale patterns. Early detection of suspicious activity allows intervention before scams reach consumers.

The Broader Lessons

High-demand markets will only become more competitive. Scalpers, bots, and fraudsters will continue to evolve. The next wave of innovation isn’t harder barriers — it’s smarter transparency.

AccessReal provides:

Tamper-proof verification for every product
Traceable ownership history
Proactive fraud detection with actionable insights

For consumers: safer, more predictable purchases. For brands: maintained credibility and trust, even in chaotic markets.

Trust Shouldn’t Be a Gamble

Mokoko shows how hype, scarcity, and automation can turn a beloved collectible into a minefield. Scalpers and bots create artificial scarcity, driving up demand. Counterfeiters exploit the frenzy, preying on buyers’ eagerness.

AccessReal ensures that trust is no longer left to chance. Each item carries a digital identity that proves authenticity, ownership, and origin. Collectors can buy with confidence, and brands can protect their reputation in real time.

Because in the high-speed world of Pop Mart collectibles, trust is the real treasure.
AccessReal: Where authenticity meets accountability.