What Forbes reported about counterfeit money ads on TikTok – NeoTeo

The October 2026 count covered ads reaching one Forbes-operated account; a separate investigation had documented the Telegram route in July.
Key points
Forbes said its TikTok account received counterfeit-currency ads from more than 54 advertiser accounts over the three months before its October 19 report.
Many of the ads directed users to private Telegram groups for orders and payment.
TikTok told Forbes it banned the accounts the outlet identified; three of seven later accounts were still active at publication.
TikTok’s advertising policy prohibits document falsification, forgery and counterfeiting.
In this article
Forbes reported counterfeit-money ads from more than 54 advertiser accounts reaching its TikTok account, with many directing users to private Telegram groups.
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.
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 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.
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.
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