Fraudsters are using AI-generated photos and fake stories to pose as small UK businesses and scam shoppers. Websites like C’est La Vie and Mabel & Daisy claim to be family-run boutiques in Birmingham and Bristol but are actually fronts for overseas sellers shipping cheap goods from Asia.
C’est La Vie even used a fake widow story and “80% off sale” to lure buyers, who later complained about receiving low-quality jewellery. Experts say advanced AI makes such fake brands harder to detect, with hundreds of victims reporting scams on Trustpilot.
Consumer watchdog Which? and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) warned that AI fraud is growing fast, urging social media platforms like Facebook to crack down on misleading ads.
