Food fraudsters trick Deliveroo and different takeaway suppliers into refunds through the use of AI to faux their meals are undercooked
Fraudsters are using AI to trick Deliveroo and other takeaway providers into giving them refunds by pretending their meals are undercooked.
Fake flies and mould, pink burger meat, and melted cakes are among the examples of digital-altered photos customers are using to con firms.
Lawyers says people are ‘getting more sophisticated in the tools that they’re using’ to fabricate claims to companies such as Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo.
Caroline Green, co-head of retail and supply chain at the law firm Browne Jacobson, warned that those who make fake claims are committing a crime.
‘If you get away with it once, you’re probably unlikely to leave it at that,’ she told The Times.
Browne Jacobson said, according to some studies, more than one in 10 returns may be fraudulent even without AI assistance.
‘Generous return and refund policies, intended to boost customer loyalty, have inadvertently made it easier for fraudsters to exploit retailers,’ the firm said.
‘Automated refund systems often issue refunds before goods are inspected, leaving businesses exposed. Platforms generally trust buyer-submitted images, with sellers given few opportunities to contest suspicious claims.’
Fraudsters are using AIto trick Deliveroo and other takeaway providers into giving them refunds by pretending their meals are undercooked
Fake flies and mould, pink burger meat, and melted cakes are among the examples of digital-altered photos customers are using to con firms
AI tools retailers can use to weed out the fake images can be costly, with some now reportedly considering whether to get customers to provide live video when submitting claims.
Browne Jacobson warned that ‘the convergence of AI-enabled fraud and customer-friendly policies has created a perfect storm for the retail sector’.
‘Proactive, risk-based strategies are essential to protect against evolving threats, maintain regulatory compliance and preserve customer trust,’ the firm said.
‘The cost of inaction is high – retailers must act fast to safeguard their businesses.’
Graham Wynn, assistant director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium, told The Times: ‘Using AI to alter images with the intention of fraudulently obtaining refunds is illegal under the Fraud Act 2006 and retailers will take necessary measures where such fraud is uncovered.’
A spokesperson for Just Eat said: ‘To protect our partners from fraudulent claims we use robust tools to determine if refund requests are genuine. We are continually updating the checks we have in place.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Uber Eats and Deliveroo for comment.
In October, the Mail reported how Chinese firms are using fake photos and backstories of so-called family-run UK businesses to dupe British shoppers into parting with their cash.
We uncovered four separate websites that present themselves as a wholesome mother-and-daughter clothing businesses but are actually using identical AI generated images with false stories to lure in customers.
‘June and Wren’, ‘Carol and Emily’, ‘Mabel and Daisy’ and ‘Olivia and Ivy’ all claim to have been started based off of ‘family love’ and to make ‘women feel confident’.
However, customers have told of feeling ‘completely ripped off’ after thinking they were buying from quaint independent boutiques in England – only to receive cheap, mass-produced items shipped from warehouses in East Asia.
Lawyers says people are ‘getting more sophisticated in the tools that they’re using’ to fabricate claims to companies such as UberEats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo.
The businesses have received hundreds of one-star reviews on Trustpilot, with furious customers complaining they paid premium prices for shoddy goods and were then hit with ‘extortionate’ return fees.
Sara Black said: ‘Would have loved to give zero stars this ‘company’ is an absolute scam.
‘Ordered a ‘wool’ jumper and when it eventually arrived was what can only be described as cheap crimplene definitely not to be worn near a naked flame.’
While Mary Maguire added: ‘AVOID. Poor quality items, nothing like as described on the website. Tracking revealed apparently shipped from China.’
