5 ways AI is being misused to fuel online shopping scams

The National Cyber Security Centre recently reported that shoppers lost over £11m to shopping scams in the lead up to Christmas last year – clothing and high-end tech devices were most commonly associated with scams.

Comments Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Expert:

“AI scams are becoming increasingly common and unfortunately, shoppers shouldn’t assume that all Black Friday deals they see are genuine.

“Luckily, there are some telltale signs you can look out for to help spot computer-generated scams online. Products in images often look the wrong scale and deepfake videos of people can have jerky movements and unnatural facial expressions. Websites with lots of generic positive reviews should also ring alarm bells.

“If you spot any adverts you suspect are an AI scam, report it to the platform you saw it on. If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud or Police Scotland.”

Read on to find out just how fraudsters are using AI-generated content to make their shopping scams more convincing than ever.

1. AI product images

Using readily available AI software, scammers can easily enhance images of products, or even create images of products or gadgets that don’t exist.

Images often appear to feature real people holding or using the products, which could make them more convincing.

A product can be made to appear high quality – or even too perfect. Often, the reality is that the product doesn’t exist, or it’s poorly made, a different shape or size to that advertised, or is missing features clearly shown in the ad. This is often seen in advertising of products marketed as cheaper versions of high-end tech products and branded clothes or beauty products.

Earlier this year, a survey of more than 1,000 members of the Which? Connect panel found that one in six people who placed an online order in the last year received items that didn’t match the product description or image. While stretching the truth in marketing isn’t anything new, under the Consumer Rights Act you’re entitled to a full refund if an item you’ve ordered online doesn’t match its description.

Always check the details of the retailer you’re buying from before you part with any money. Look at its reviews and see how likely it is that you’ll get what you’re paying for.

2. Deepfake videos

Example of a deepfake advert taken from social media

The popular style of short-form videos found on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram has been hijacked by fraudsters creating realistic fakes using AI.

Scammers can manipulate a real video of someone, subtly changing the way their face and body move, and adding a different voice. Sometimes the audio may be removed and the video features captions that don’t match what the person is saying in the clip.

Footage of celebrities and other high-profile people can be manipulated to include a voiceover that sounds very similar to them, to make it seem more realistic. Influencer-style posts are where someone is talking to the camera about a product. The scammers will take a real video from someone’s social account and edit it so it looks like the person is talking about a product that’s actually part of the scam.

More sophisticated software is capable of creating entirely original footage using a combination of images found online, stitched together to create a person who doesn’t really exist.

Read more: take our quiz to see if you could spot a deepfake video.

Having a professional-looking website can help scam companies look legitimate.

Entire websites including images, text, videos, stores and checkouts, can now be created quickly using online tools that just need to be given a few prompts about themes. Bots can also fake comments and likes on websites and social media pages from non-existent followers and fans, which can make it look like a scam company has lots of loyal and happy customers.

Just because an advert you’ve seen has online links to a website or social profile with lots of content, comments, likes and followers, it doesn’t always mean the company behind it is genuine.

Read more: how to spot a dodgy website.

4. Scam marketplace listings

AI tools can easily generate content for fake listings on online marketplaces.

Scam listings commonly feature high value or in-demand products at temptingly low prices, such as new and used tech like mobile phones, smartwatches and tablets, as well as children’s toys, bikes and household appliances.

Read more: watch out for ‘dark pattern’ ads over Black Friday.

5. Fake reviews

AI is also used by fraudsters to create thousands of fake positive reviews for products on marketplaces, review sites and social media pages.

Fake reviews often include glowing comments using generic key phrases people tend to look for when considering buying a product or service. For example, ‘5 star customer service’ or ‘excellent quality item’. They’re also programmed to make the review sound chatty and informal, as real people would write them, but often include strange phrases.

Always look at reviews of a retailer before you buy from it and pay attention to the four, three and two-star reviews for a more honest opinion.

Read more: how to spot a fake review.

What to do if you’ve lost money to an online shopping scam

If you’ve been conned by a shopping scam online and you paid by debit or credit card, contact your bank or card provider and tell it what’s happened.

If you didn’t get a product or service you thought you were getting, you may be able to claim your money back through chargeback or Section 75.

If you’ve paid using an online payment platform such as Paypal, contact the platform. Most platforms have a customer protection policy and they may be able to help you get your money back.

Report all scams to Action Fraud or if you live in Scotland you can report it to the police on 101.

If you spot any adverts you suspect have been created using AI and they’re trying to trick people, report it to the platform you saw it on. All social platforms allow you to report a post for misleading or fraudulent content, which can usually be found on the post itself. You can also report misleading adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority.

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5 ways AI is being misused to fuel online shopping scams

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