From live scorpions to threatening notes, fast fashion retailer Shein has become notorious for sending unwanted items with its packages. But one customer says there was something more nefarious in her recent order.
In a video with over 4.3 million views, TikToker Riya (@bandanabixch14) shares a clip of her wearing overalls that she recently purchased from Shein. She squeezes the back panel of the clothing, which produces a beeping noise.
“I’m so scared right now,” she says. She takes a knife and slices the denim open to see what is making the beeping noise.
She pulls out a circular, white tab with the word “Chipolo” on it. “What the [expletive] is this?” she asks. The on-screen text reads, “So I found a tracker in my overalls from Shein.”
In the caption, Riya writes, “What y’all missed was the panic attack and the police report but I’ve had these for a lil while now and I had no idea bro. I feel so violated.”
@bandanabixch14 What yall missed was the panic attack and the police report but ive had these for a lil while now and I had no idea bro😭i feel so violated #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #shein ♬ original sound – riya
What is a Chipolo?
According to the manufacturer’s website, Chipolo is a tracking chip similar to the Apple AirTag. Users can attach the chip to their belongings and track their location through an app.
In the comments, viewers speculate about the purpose of the tag.
“The sweatshop worker whose Chipolo fell off their keychain when they were sewing watching this,” one wrote. Shein has previously come under fire for poor working conditions at its factories, including allegations of forced labor.
“What if this is a returned item and someone placed it there to find the factory?” another suggested.
“Maybe somebody bought it. Put the tracker in it. Then returned it. Because this is WILD !!” a third added.
Shein customers respond
In the comments section, viewers reacted to Riya’s discovery.
“NOW TELL ME WHYYY I was standing in my kitchen last night, no one’s home and I hear that SAME sound. I have some Halloween shein items sitting in here from a party last wknd. Im about to tear this house DOWN,” one exclaimed.
“Wait this is actually scary,” another said.
“Oh hell naw,” a third remarked.
However, this won’t stop all Shein customers from making purchases.
“First the scorpions, now trackers? I’m still gonna order from them tho,” one wrote.
“Swear yall ordering off the wrong shein cuz whatttt i aint never got any of these help sign things or anything,” another said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Riya via TikTok direct message and comment. We also contacted Shein via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.