Back to home ESENPT
Cases · October 2026

Real cases of AI photo fraud. Fake photos used as evidence, 2023 to 2026.

A compilation of cases and alerts documented in the press and public sources where an edited, recycled or AI-generated photo was used to collect a refund, an insurance payout, a return or a damage charge.

Vouch teamOctober 23, 20267-minute read

In short

  • 21 documented cases and alerts in 9 countries, from 2023 to 2026.
  • They appear in delivery, insurance, e-commerce, warranties and rentals: any process that accepts a photo as evidence.
  • Almost all were discovered through a detail, not a systematic control.
  • The pattern repeats in parallel across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Delivery

  1. Nov 2025United StatesPhotos of food retouched with AI to look raw or spoiled are reported, used to request refunds on DoorDash.⁠1
  2. Nov 2025Latin AmericaMedia in Chile and Argentina warn about customers who edit photos of their orders with AI to make food look raw, spoiled or contaminated.⁠2
  3. Dec 2025United StatesA DoorDash courier in Austin marks an order as delivered and sends an AI-generated photo of the customer’s door. DoorDash banned them.⁠3
  4. Jan 2026IndiaZomato’s CEO says some customers add insects to photos with AI and that claims about “crushed” cakes have grown.⁠4
  5. 2026BrazilIn Paraná, a customer adds a cockroach to a photo of their burger with AI. The restaurant catches it because the mayonnaise was in a different spot and a color it doesn’t use.⁠5

Context and figures in the delivery fraud report.

Insurance

  1. May 2024United KingdomAllianz UK reports that cases with images, videos and documents altered with apps rose 300% in a year, and warns about shallowfakes.⁠6
  2. 2025SpainAXA reports that 60% of its 2024 fraud cases were real claims with added damage.⁠7
  3. Apr 2025BrazilFenSeg warns about fraud with AI-generated images and even toy model cars photographed as real vehicles.⁠8
  4. 2025ArgentinaCESVI flags AI image tampering in claims as a rising trend.⁠9
  5. Feb 2026ArgentinaAdjusters and lawyers receive AI-created claim images that pass basic checks.⁠10
  6. Apr 2026United KingdomAdmiral detects photos of damaged cars edited with a different number plate to claim twice, and a designer watch made to look “damaged” with a filter.⁠11
  7. Jun 2026United KingdomAviva sees more and more claims with AI-generated images and manipulated documents, especially in motor.⁠12
  8. Jun 2026United KingdomAllianz UK finds a van with an AI-added crack, submitted with a repair invoice, and warns that car photos posted online are used to fabricate damage.⁠13

Context and figures in the insurance fraud report.

E-commerce and warranties

  1. Dec 2023United StatesAmazon sues REKK, a ring that sold fraudulent refunds over Telegram for a 30% commission.⁠14
  2. Nov 2025ChinaDuring Double 11, sellers report AI-altered photos used to claim damaged goods. In Suzhou, a buyer submits a fake video of dead crabs and gets eight days of administrative detention.⁠15⁠16
  3. Jan 2026ChinaTaobao and Tmall launch their own model to detect fake images in after-sales claims.⁠17
  4. Mar 2026United StatesA Boll & Branch customer claims “torn” sheets with a photo carrying an AI watermark. When the brand asks for a video call, they stop responding.⁠18
  5. Mar 2026United StatesA Bogg customer complains about “twisted” straps and, after being turned down, sends the same photo with a tear added.⁠18
  6. May 2026MexicoThe owners of a small business find that the photos of “damaged” products a customer sent them were AI-generated.⁠19
  7. Jun 2026United KingdomForter reports that claims with AI-fabricated damage are the fastest-growing form of return abuse, and that some groups sell “returns-as-a-service”.⁠20

Context and figures in the return fraud and warranty fraud reports.

Rentals

  1. Aug 2025United StatesAn Airbnb host in New York claims more than $16,000 in damages with photos the guest said were manipulated: a crack in a table looked different in each image. Airbnb refunded her.⁠21⁠22

Context and figures in the rental photo fraud report.

What they have in common

The photo was the only evidence

In almost every case, the claim was approved or rejected based on the image alone, without seeing the product, the car or the place.

They were caught through a detail

The color of a sauce, a crack that changed between photos or a forgotten watermark. None was caught by a systematic image check.⁠5

They appear in parallel

Cases in China, India, the United States, Europe and Latin America emerged almost at the same time, between 2025 and 2026.

They get organized

Image fraud is no longer only individual: some groups sell it as a service and, according to an AI Incident Database analysis, deepfake fraud operates on an industrial scale.⁠23

How to review a photo step by step, in the guide to telling whether a photo was generated or edited with AI.

How Vouch solves it

Vouch is a visual fraud detection platform. It analyzes every photo in under 30 seconds with three layers: detection of images generated or edited with AI, a search for the image online and in previous claims, and the customer’s context. It returns a 0–100 risk score with the reason, and gray-area cases go to a specialist. It works from Vouch Web, with no integration, or via API.

Book a demoor try Vouch with a free pilot

Frequently asked questions

Are there real cases of fraud with AI-made photos?

Yes. There are documented cases in China, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, in delivery, insurance, e-commerce, warranties and rentals.

How were these cases discovered?

Usually through a detail only the company or the affected person knew: the color of a sauce, a crack that changed between photos or an AI watermark left in the image.

How can this fraud be prevented?

By analyzing every photo before paying with several layers at once: signs of AI editing or generation, a search for the image online and in previous claims, and the customer’s context, with human review for doubtful cases.

Sources

This compilation is based on public sources only; every case can be verified.

  1. The Daily Dot. AI-generated refund scams are tricking DoorDash with fake “undercooked” food photos (Nov 2025)
  2. T13 (Chile). La nueva estafa que golpea al delivery: así usan IA para editar fotos de comida y pedir reembolsos (Nov 2025)
  3. TechCrunch. DoorDash says it banned driver who seemingly faked a delivery using AI (Jan 2026)
  4. Outlook Business. Inside Zomato’s Karma Score: What Deepinder Goyal Reveals About Fraud, Refunds (Jan 2026)
  5. Giro News. Cliente usa IA para simular barata em lanche e tentar reembolso no Paraná (2026)
  6. PropertyCasualty360. Fraudsters using AI to manipulate images for false claims (May 2024)
  7. Bolsamanía (Europa Press). Axa evita 87 millones en fraude al seguro en 2024, un 3,6% más (2025)
  8. Revista Apólice. Setor de seguros reage a fraudes com inteligência artificial (Apr 2025)
  9. El Seguro en Acción. Concurso Nacional de Lucha contra el Fraude 2025 (2025)
  10. Forbes Argentina. El fraude perfecto llegó a los seguros: así están usando IA para inventar daños “creíbles” (Feb 2026)
  11. Admiral Group. The White Lie Effect: 1 in 8 people admit to exaggerating insurance claims (2026)
  12. Aviva plc. Aviva stops record levels of claims fraud as scams become more sophisticated (Jun 2026)
  13. Allianz UK. Posting car pics fuels fraud (Jun 2026)
  14. Sourcing Journal (WWD). Amazon Lawsuit Names 27 Defendants Running Global Refund Fraud Scheme (Dec 2023)
  15. South China Morning Post. China consumers use AI to alter product photos, claim refunds for goods that appear damaged (2025)
  16. China Daily. AI-driven refund scams spur calls for stronger e-platform protection (Dec 2025)
  17. OECD.AI (AI Incidents Monitor). Taobao and Tmall Deploy AI to Combat Fraudulent Refunds with Fake Images (Jan 2026)
  18. Modern Retail. From Boll & Branch to Bogg, brands are battling a surge of AI-driven return fraud (Mar 2026)
  19. Infobae México. Emprendedora se viraliza al detectar imágenes falsas creadas con IA y evita presunta estafa (May 2026)
  20. Retail Rewired. Forter: Retailers report rising returns fraud, with 80% of fake claims fuelled by AI evidence (Jun 2026)
  21. El Tiempo. Acusan a un anfitrión de Airbnb de usar IA para fingir daños en su propiedad (Aug 2025)
  22. Frommer’s. Airbnb scam warning: AI-altered photos used to accuse guest of $16,000 in damages (Aug 2025)
  23. The Guardian. Deepfake fraud taking place on an industrial scale, study finds (Feb 2026)