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TikTok sympathy scams use racial slurs and insults to sell products

TikTok removed close to 200 accounts after Indicator reached out

Craig Silverman
Craig Silverman

Oct 30, 2025

TikTok sympathy scams use racial slurs and insults to sell products

After being created last month, the TikTok account @michaelpuffyweave made 21 posts that typically followed the same formula. The videos began with a black man or woman in tears and a screenshot of a TikTok comment superimposed above them that included a racial slur or an insult.

“You son really got the worst of both worlds he’s a n*gger and a f*gget😂why are you letting him crochet?” read one comment shown over a brief video of a man with tears in his eyes. 

The video cut to footage of a young black boy crocheting before switching to product broll of a crochet flower lamp, which people could purchase at an online store promoted in the account’s bio. It falsely claimed that the lamps were made by the boy.

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