28/06/2026
I thought I’d alert my network how AI is being used now in order to raise deceptive fraudulent item not as described / arrived damage cases with platforms and payment providers.
I’ve attached photos of my worst case this month to this post showing through what length fraudsters now go in order to defraud retailers!
This particular case happened on eBay.co.uk the buyer raised an “item arrived damaged” case for a refund on a 320£ order and claimed heavy water damage occurred to the goods but added no photo to his claim. Nor did he reply to my request for photos because clearly I wouldn’t refund a high value order without proof.
Best part we are in the middle of a heatwave with no rain, the delivery photo showed no damage to the posting box and the items being shrink wrapped would probably even survive a plunge in a pool without water damage.
So eventually I accepted it as a buyer must RETURN and bought a return label but instead of returning the item he sent me the first photo of my 2 items inside my posting box showing siginificant water damage and unusual tearing to the retail design. Fishing for me refunding him without having to return the items.
It seemed odd to me so I zoomed in to the photos and realised that something was off. The logo was weird, a word SUPER was missing, text at the bottom was missing and over all some text was weirdly non readable.
Having run the photo through Google ‘s Gemini AI immediately confirms that Google tools digital watermark is present in the photos!
Unfortunately as sellers we can no longer trust the photos buyer send in and it highlights there is a real compliance and safety issue with the use of AI that urgently needs to be addressed by governments as well as selling platforms and payment providers around the world to regulate what AI is allowed to do and what it isn’t.
TBC in comments as too long
