Free dinner with AI: the growing online scam and how you can spot it
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On 9 May, El Confidencial published an article titled “I had dinner for free by tricking a restaurant with AI. The ‘low-cost’ scam that’s defrauding millions”. In the article, journalist Manuel Ángel Méndez describes how he got a full refund from a food delivery app by pretending that his burger was raw, with the help of generative AI in just three minutes. In reality, his food was perfectly cooked.
His method was simple yet effective. He used artificial intelligence to retouch an image to create a non-existent problem and use it as proof to request a refund. This type of fraud is known as a ‘shallowfake’. So, what is a shallowfake? It involves making minimal but believable visual modifications. The most worrying thing is that it is growing at a rapid pace.
The challenge for companies in the age of artificial intelligence
Any company that handles returns or complaints through images or videos sent by users, from food delivery platforms to insurance companies, marketplaces, and e-commerce, is increasingly exposed to digital fraud.
According to an El Confidencial article, companies such as Allianz and AXA have seen a 300% increase in digitally manipulated content since 2021. The reason? Nowadays, all it takes is access to free AI tools and a few minutes to create a convincing fake claim.
The solution is to identify AI-generated content before making decisions.
This is where TU VerifAI comes in: a solution designed to detect whether content has been created or altered using AI.
VerifAI uses different analysis engines to verify the authenticity of images, videos and audio files. This provides an additional layer of security for sectors such as e-commerce, delivery, insurance and customer service.
Cases like the one in this article do not have to be repeated.
If companies used tools such as VerifAI, they could automatically filter out AI-generated content. Companies could automatically filter out suspicious images before processing returns or claims if they used tools such as VerifAI. This would protect both the companies and their business partners, many of whom bear the losses.
Technology that protects trust
AI fraud is no longer just the stuff of science fiction. As the report shows, it is starting to happen and represents a silent threat to thousands of companies. However, solutions are also available to everyone. Tools such as VerifAI help to detect fraud and rebuild trust between companies and customers in an increasingly automated environment that is vulnerable to manipulation.
If your company handles complaints or returns, or any other processes where the user’s identity is important, VerifAI is the perfect ally for anticipating fraud and protecting your business.
What is your VerifAI?
It is a tool that allows you to detect whether an image, video or audio file has been manipulated or created using artificial intelligence. It uses different analysis engines to identify possible fraud.
What is a shallowfake?
Shallowfakes are visual content that has been minimally modified with AI to appear real. Unlike deepfakes, which are created from scratch, shallowfakes alter real photos to deceive platforms and obtain refunds or other benefits (for example, by simulating a raw hamburger when it is not).
Which sectors can benefit from VerifAI?
- VerifAI is useful for companies in:
- E-commerce
- Food delivery
- Insurance
- marketplaces
- Customer service
Any organisation that handles claims involving images or videos can benefit.
SEO, ASO and CRO Specialist at Telefónica Innovación Digital | Growth, Strategy and Conversion Optimization.
