The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it identified 55 shipments of fake or counterfeit squishy toys that violated federal safety requirements and stopped 355,683 units from entering U.S. commerce.
The Aug. 5 alert describes a category of soft novelty toys rather than a recall tied to one named seller. CPSC says counterfeit versions can copy familiar designs while omitting required safeguards, testing or labeling.
Agency inspections found several kinds of hazards. Some toys contained water beads or small parts that can pose ingestion or choking risks, while others contained lead or prohibited phthalates, according to CPSC.
CPSC also renewed a warning about squishy toys heated in a microwave. The agency says heated toys can burst, and sticky filling can cling to skin and worsen a burn.
The shipment and unit counts describe products intercepted by CPSC and its import-surveillance partners. They do not measure every counterfeit toy in the market or establish that every squishy toy is unsafe.
Counterfeit products can be difficult to distinguish from authorized merchandise by appearance alone. CPSC advises consumers to check packaging, labeling and seller information and to use its public product-safety resources when evaluating a toy.
The agency's alert does not identify a single model list or universal remedy. Consumers should follow product-specific CPSC notices rather than assume the warning applies to every soft or squeezable toy.
The federal action is preventive: the units were stopped at ports before distribution. CPSC did not report that all 355,683 units reached consumers.
The figures and hazard descriptions are agency findings from the alert. They may be updated if CPSC publishes additional enforcement or recall information.