Fake Shein offers circulate on social media

Posts shared by dozens of accounts on Facebook claim you can get a box of clothes from the online retailer Shein “practically for free” or for just the cost of shipping in exchange for filling out a survey. But, as with similar viral posts we’ve fact checked previously, this is not true.

Many of the accounts sharing the posts suggest they learnt of the offer through a family member, and that the retailer is giving away clothes as it’s “cheaper” than throwing them away.

One such post claims: “If you’re over 40, you can fill out a short survey and they’ll send you a whole box of clothes — practically for free!”

Another says: “All you need to do is write a short review or fill out a quick survey, and they’ll send you a whole box of clothes – you just pay for the shipping!”

We’ve contacted Shein who confirmed the offer is false. A spokesperson said: “We have become aware of recent Facebook posts circulating online which promise ‘giveaway’ prizes to Shein customers if they click on unverified URL links. These offers are not authorised by Shein and we urge customers to not engage with these posts. Please stay vigilant.”

There are some key telltale signs that the posts aren’t legitimate. The first is that this offer has not been shared by the official Shein Facebook page, and hasn’t been mentioned on any of their other social media channels. The second is that the post does not link to the real Shein website.

It is always worth checking posts sharing offers that seem too good to be true. One way to verify whether an offer is real is to see whether it has been shared by the company’s official page—this will often have more followers, a verified blue tick on platforms like Facebook or Instagram and a longer post history.