Is Temu Legit or a Scam? What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

What is the Temu website?

Temu is a widely used Chinese online marketplace known for its low prices, discounts, and offers. Temu operates through the temu.com website and Temu app, where individual vendors list various items — from clothing and housewares to electronics and toys. Products are shipped to shoppers directly from manufacturers in China, helping keep prices low.

With 27 million global downloads reported in July 2025, Temu was the world’s most popular shopping app and the sixth most popular app of any kind at the time of writing.

Is Temu a legit company?

Temu is a legitimate company owned by PDD Holdings, a Chinese company with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. PDD Holdings also owns Pinduoduo, Temu’s Chinese sister site. The app’s extremely low prices have led some people to question its credibility.

Is Temu safe to buy from?

Temu is as safe to buy from as many other legitimate online shopping platforms — it has policies and measures in place to protect consumers’ rights and help ensure a safe shopping experience. However, there are risks you should be aware of, particularly around how your personal data is collected and shared with data brokers.

Temu’s safety credentials

Temu has a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Certification, which is awarded to apps after tests prove they have passed certain safety requirements. These tests are carried out by DEKRA, a respected global safety organization.

Here are some ways Temu prioritizes security:

• Purchase protection program: Users have the right to a full refund within 90 days for items that don’t match descriptions, arrive damaged, or are lost.

• Payment handling: Temu uses the TLS (HTTPS) encryption protocol — the successor to SSL encryption — to help secure online transactions.

• Proactive security investigations: Temu engages with HackerOne’s Bug Bounty Program to detect and address vulnerabilities.

• Verified seller promotion: Temu highlights vendors that are officially verified with a blue badge and directs customers to sellers with 5-star ratings.

Does Temu collect your data?

Yes, Temu does collect your data. According to its privacy policy, this data may be shared with third-party advertisers, service providers, and business partners. This is common practice for many online companies, but it makes it harder for you to browse the web anonymously.

The data Temu collects includes your:

• Name

• Email address

• Phone number

• Home address

• Payment information and purchase history

• Media (photos and videos)

• Location data

Chinese companies operating in the US and Europe, including Temu and TikTok, sometimes face accusations of improper data handling. There are fears, particularly among US lawmakers, that data collected from users could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. However, others believe these accusations to be unfounded.

Risks of using Temu

The main risks of using Temu are centered around data privacy and security. The more your data circulates online, the greater the risk of being caught up in a security breach. So, whenever you sign up for an online account, it’s important to consider the brand’s data policy and how trustworthy you consider them to be. Below, we dig into some additional risks of using Temu.

Customer service problems

As of October 2025, Temu’s website has a Trustpilot score of 2.2 out of 5. For comparison, the low-cost clothing company Shein.com holds a score of 4.0, and Amazon.com has a score of 1.7.

Customer complaints frequently revolve around customer service being of little help, particularly in relation to refunds. Issues reported have also involved Temu customer service closing tickets that had not been resolved, sometimes doing so multiple times for the same ticket.

Product quality

Concerns have been raised about Temu’s product quality. On Trustpilot, customers have frequently derided Temu products as flimsy and constructed with cheap materials, leading to items breaking after only a few uses.

There have also been numerous complaints related to delivery and reliability. These include products arriving extremely late — sometimes taking months to arrive — or not arriving at all. In addition, when products did arrive, some were damaged or even broken.

The UK documentary “The Truth About Temu: Dispatches” also found that certain items purchased through Temu had harmful levels of chemicals, such as lead and cadmium. In response, the company said it “will continue to devote significant resources to improving consumer protection” and “immediately remove any product listings in question pending a review.”

Spamming

Some Temu customers have reported a surge in spam emails after using the platform, often filled with promotional offers and marketing content. While it’s unclear if Temu is directly responsible, sharing your email with multiple sellers or third parties through the app may expose you to more unwanted messages.

Malware concerns

Alarmingly, malware was found on some versions of Temu’s sister app, Pinduoduo. As a result, the latter app was pulled from Google Play. This malware was used to spy on users by exploiting an Android vulnerability. It allegedly bypassed user security permissions, accessed private messages, modified settings, and viewed data from other apps.

Is Temu a good company?

Temu has faced skepticism from consumers due to data privacy, product quality, and spam concerns. However, the company does generally adhere to necessary consumer protection guidelines, and many people choose to shop there.

That said, ethical factors to consider before shopping with Temu could include political connections, copyright infringement, environmental concerns, and the working conditions of laborers who manufacture goods sold on Temu.

Political connections

Fears over Temu’s connection to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are sometimes touted by politicians. In recent years, the US has been noticeably more hawkish on China. This has been evidenced by US President Donald Trump targeting China with large-scale tariffs.

There have been calls for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to probe Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings, over alleged ties to the CCP. For example, in 2024, Republican Congressman Brian Mast sent a letter to the FTC highlighting concerns relating to data, privacy, and business practices.

We need to be clear, if you’re a company operating within the US, you don’t get to hide your links to the Chinese Communist Party.
— Republican congressman Brian Mast

As of September 2025, investigations into Temu’s potential connections to the CCP are ongoing but have yet to reveal any definitive evidence.

Forced labor accusations

Temu has stated a zero-tolerance policy for forced labor. Despite this, the company has faced widespread accusations of forced labor in the manufacturing of goods sold on the site. One of the most notable accusations came from the US government’s Select Committee on the CCP, which stated “Temu is doing next to nothing to keep its supply chains free from slave labor.”

In February 2025, Semafor reported that the Trump administration was considering adding Temu and fellow Chinese e-commerce site Shein to its forced labor list. As of October 2025, this has yet to happen.

Copyright infringement

Temu has an intellectual property policy that outlines how to report copyright infringement on the site. This policy is a necessary response to widespread accusations that Temu is filled with a significant number of fake items that infringe on various intellectual properties.

According to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, “Temu’s lack of affiliation with established brands has brought concerns of product quality as well as accusations of copyright infringement”. It also notes that the Better Business Bureau received 235 complaints about the e-commerce site and app in the 12 months prior to April 2023.

Numerous examples of copyright violations have hit the headlines in recent years. These range from counterfeit Air Jordans to fake Twenty One Pilots merchandise. The latter case even resulted in an ongoing lawsuit between the band and Temu. It is worth noting that Temu does use a blue badge checkmark scheme to help shoppers identify verified products and sellers.

Environmental concerns

Due to the sheer volume of products that Temu deals with, it has come under fire from environmental quarters as a major polluter. Part of the reason for this is the company's heavy use of air freight to ship globally, which can pollute up to 30 times as much as sea freight. Additionally, Temu has been criticized for the amount of carbon emissions produced as a result of the manufacturing process, as well as the amount of waste packaging that ends up in landfills.

Temu claims to reduce retail waste with its reverse-manufacturing model — a strategy that sees vendors producing items according to customer demand.

How to use Temu safely

To use Temu safely, you should follow online shopping best practices, such as checking vendor reviews, using secure payment methods, and installing a reputable online security app. Before creating an account, review Temu’s privacy policy so you can better understand how your personal information will be handled.

Here are some other ways you can improve your safety when using Temu:

• Check Temu vendor reviews: Avoid vendors with mostly negative feedback or minimal reviews.

• Look for verified sellers: Sellers with a blue badge with a check mark next to their listings have been verified as an official brand by Temu.

• Adjust your device settings: Use your app permissions to limit the data you're sharing with Temu.

• Use an anti-tracking browser: Download and use a secure browser to help prevent web tracking.

• Limit costly purchases: Avoid spending large sums of money on the platform to minimize your losses if you fall victim to a scam or other unforeseen event.

• Protect your account: Create a strong, unique password for your Temu account.

• Hide your email: Use an alias or secondary email address to protect your main email account from phishing emails that may target Temu customers.

• Use secure payment methods: Avoid directly adding card details to your Temu account and opt for payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal.

• Stay informed about Temu: Read news regarding Temu, its partner apps, and their business practices.

• Use privacy and security tools: Hide your IP address with a VPN while you browse online for greater privacy, and use a reputable antivirus to help detect and remove viruses.

Is Temu a scam?

Temu itself is not a scam, but as with Amazon and other popular online marketplaces, scammers can take advantage of its popularity and large number of potential targets. If you shop on Temu, it’s important to stay vigilant and be aware of the types of scams that may be found there.

Here are a few Temu scams to be aware of:

• Fake Temu codes and promotions: Scammers may use social media advertising to promise huge discounts or free money. These malicious ads are traps designed to get your personal details. Always verify codes through the official Temu website or app.

• Gift card scams: Scammers may offer fake Temu gifts or gift cards to trick you into revealing personal information or making payments. If you want a Temu gift card, buy it directly from the source on Temu.com or in the Temu app.

• Affiliate link scams: Temu has legitimate programs for affiliates and influencers, but a scammer may pretend to be an affiliate to get you to click a dangerous link. Always verify that the source is trustworthy before clicking on Temu affiliate links off the platform — they could take you to a spoofed site.

• Temu customer service impersonators: Tech support scams involve scammers posing as customer support representatives to trick you into sharing your account details or other personal information. Always use official channels for Temu support.

Scammers may attempt to trick you into clicking fake Temu ads.

What to do if you get scammed on Temu

If you get scammed on Temu, you should take steps to protect your finances, check your device for malware and signs of hacking, and report the fraud to authorities. Here’s how to report the scam:

• Notify Temu customer service to report the incident or vendor.

• Notify your bank and ask them to reverse the transaction and get your money back, if possible.

• Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

• File a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website.

• Use the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker to report fraud.

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