British shoppers hunting for the perfect party outfit are being warned to stay vigilant, as a surge of sophisticated scams uses artificial intelligence to sell dresses that simply do not exist. Enchanted by shimmering sequins and intricate frills in online adverts, consumers are parting with cash only to receive cheap, poorly made imitations that bear little resemblance to the AI-generated fantasy.
Celebrities Caught in the Scam Net
The phenomenon is so widespread that even public figures are not immune. Actress Melissa Joan Hart, 49, recently took to Instagram to share her disappointing experience. The 'Sabrina The Teenage Witch' star posted a side-by-side comparison, showing the stunning gown she ordered alongside the shoddy item she received.
The advertised dress featured a plunging neckline with elaborate gold Christmas tree embroidery and 3D floral details. The reality was a basic, long-sleeved red and green dress with all the promised details merely printed onto cheap fabric. The flared sleeves and tailored bodice were absent. In her caption, Hart lamented, 'Online ordering sucks!', with some of her fans humorously pointing out the original image was clearly AI-generated.
A Catalogue of Catastrophic Purchases
Hart's story is far from unique. Social media platforms are filled with similar tales of fashion fraud. In 2022, Rachel Brown from Edinburgh spotted a breathtaking, feather-festooned gown in a Facebook advert, reduced to around £90. After a sinking feeling prompted her to seek a PayPal refund, the dress arrived anyway. It was a far cry from the advert, featuring cheap plastic sequins and a skirt that shed feathers all over her hallway.
Other examples abound. A Reddit user shared images of a beautiful boho-chic top with embroidered flowers, only to receive a poorly printed tunic in the wrong colours. Another shopper, Isla Garrigan from Durham, spent £30 on a PrettyLittleThing dress in 2018, expecting a baby pink tiered skirt but receiving an unflattering, boxy garment she compared to something from a horror film.
The Extreme Lengths of AI Deception
Some scams reach absurd levels. German TikToker Evita Herhardt runs a series where she deliberately orders AI-designed dresses. In one infamous episode, a gown that appeared encrusted with gems and sheer fabric arrived as a thin, speckled garment with bizarre, asymmetrical cuts, forcing her to wear shorts underneath for modesty.
Perhaps the most costly mistake was shared by a TikTok user who lost nearly $2,000 USD on an eagle-inspired gown. The AI image depicted a majestic, beaded creation, but the real dress had goofy-looking bird heads and haphazardly attached feathers, with a corset back that wouldn't even fasten properly.
The collective experiences serve as a stark warning. As AI imagery becomes more convincing, shoppers must exercise extreme caution, scrutinising website reviews and being deeply sceptical of prices that seem too good to be true for intricately designed garments. The era of blind trust in dazzling online product photos is well and truly over.
