In honor of my Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series, my assistant Gabriella Samuels is writing for my newsletter and blog a series of consumer tips inspired by TV reporter Elizabeth Margaret Danniher.
Handmade and DIY items are popular on platforms such as Etsy, Temu, TikTok Shop, and Facebook Marketplace. These sites use AI to help customers shop, but scammers also use AI to sell fake products.
AI use is widespread among scammers for the creation of fake crafting companies, images, content, and products. Scammers use AI-generated images to sell fake products or items that resemble real crafts. Scammers are also using AI to create patterns for DIY items like crochet and woodworking plans. They sell the AI-generated plans at a marked-up rate, ignoring whether the pattern can actually be produced by customers. Sometimes, scammers steal patterns and designs from legitimate creators.
Often when a customer buys one of these AI-generated products, they do not get what they paid for or, in some cases, may never receive their order at all. Customers think they are buying from legitimate small businesses or crafters, but they are actually buying from scammers.
These AI products are everywhere, but if you enjoy buying handmade crafts, here are some things to look out for:
- Check for unusual details in the images of the product, like weird patterns or textures that do not look real. They are probably AI.
- Be wary of very detailed and intricate crafts that are sold for an unusually low price.
- Be wary of product images that are shown only from one angle.
- Check if the company’s or crafter’s profile was created recently yet has dozens of products.
You can combat this by performing a reverse image search on the product’s image. The same craft product offered by many different sellers is likely a scam. Always check the seller’s history and customer reviews before making any purchase.
You can report these fake sellers to the website you are using, but unfortunately, scammers can close the account and make a new one. So, stay vigilant and look out for these AI products.