To spot AI-generated photos in a marketplace listing, compare the photos in the set for details that should match, look closely at text and packaging, and run the images through an AI detector. Then ask the seller for one new photo of the item with a handwritten note showing your name and today’s date. That last step beats every tool, because a seller with the real item can take the photo in a minute.
Where AI listing photos turn up #
- Rentals. Listings for apartments and vacation homes that don’t exist, usually paired with a request for a deposit before a viewing.
- Used goods. Furniture, electronics and cars that look perfect in the photos but aren’t what’s actually for sale.
- Handmade and print-on-demand shops. Product images generated rather than photographed, sometimes for items that look very different in person.
- Pets. Adorable photos used to collect deposits for animals that don’t exist.
Not every AI image in a listing is a scam. Real estate agents use virtual staging to show furniture in empty rooms, and small shops use mockups to show a design on a mug. The question is whether the photo shows the thing you’ll actually receive.
The stakes are real. Online shopping was the second most commonly reported fraud category in the FTC’s 2024 data, a year in which reported fraud losses reached $12.5 billion (FTC).
Visual clues in listing photos #
| Where to look | What gives AI away |
|---|---|
| Labels and packaging | Brand names that are almost right, garbled model numbers |
| Across the photo set | A scratch or stain that shows in one shot but not another |
| Rooms | Doors to nowhere, outlets at odd heights, windows that don’t line up |
| Furniture | Legs that don’t reach the floor, cushions melting into the frame |
| Lighting | Every room lit like a catalog, no shadows under objects |
| Reflections | Mirrors and windows showing a different room, or nothing |
A real item photographed in a real place leaves small, boring evidence: a cable in the corner, a price sticker, the same scuff from different angles. AI photos tend to be too clean.
How to check a listing, step by step #
- Save every photo in the listing. Screenshots are fine if the app won’t let you save.
- Reverse search the main photo. For rentals especially, scammers copy photos from genuine listings. Finding the same apartment on another site at a different price is a strong red flag.
- Run an AI check on each photo. Expose AI works from the share sheet in your browser or marketplace app. Crop to the photo if you took a screenshot, and you’ll get Likely real, Uncertain or Likely AI-generated with a confidence meter. Pro’s batch check handles up to 12 images in one go, which covers most listings, and the app keeps a private history on your phone so you can find that listing’s result again next week.
- Ask for a verification photo. Request a picture of the item from a new angle with a handwritten note. Generators could fake that too, but it’s more work than most scammers bother with, and hesitation tells you something.
- See it before you pay. For anything expensive, and for every rental, view it in person or on a live video call before sending money.
Payment red flags that matter more than photos #
Even a real photo can front a scam. Walk away if the seller:
- Wants a deposit before you’ve seen the item or property.
- Insists on a wire transfer, gift cards, crypto or a payment app’s “friends and family” option.
- Can’t meet or video call, and has a reason every time.
- Creates urgency: “three other people want it today.”
Use the platform’s own checkout or protected payment option where it has one.
When the seller’s profile is also fake #
Scam listings often come from accounts with AI-generated faces. If the seller’s avatar looks like a studio headshot and the account is new, run through how to spot an AI-generated profile picture. For product photos that are real but edited, such as a scratch erased with an AI tool, see how to tell if a photo was edited with AI.
Frequently asked questions #
Is virtual staging in a rental listing a scam? #
Not on its own. Virtual staging adds digital furniture to photos of a real, empty space, and it’s common in real estate. It becomes a problem when it hides the room’s condition or isn’t disclosed. Ask for unstaged photos or a live viewing.
Are AI product photos allowed on marketplaces? #
Rules vary by platform. Some require used-goods listings to show the actual item, while shops selling made-to-order products often use mockups. Check the platform’s listing policy, and if in doubt, ask the seller for a real photo.
What should I do if I paid for an item that doesn’t exist? #
Contact your bank or card issuer right away to dispute the charge, report the listing to the platform, and file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US or with your country’s consumer agency. Keep screenshots of the listing and your messages.
Can an AI detector tell if a photo was stolen from another listing? #
No. A detector answers whether an image was generated by AI, and a stolen real photo will read as real. Reverse image search is the tool that finds copied listing photos.