Suspicious scammer using AI generated or photoshopped photo in a return case

[lemonxlemon]

Hi all,

I have a suspicious scammer here that I never came across with.

This buyer created a return case with only one photo uploaded.

The photo shows a crack inside of the mug.

First of all, this is a brand new Hermes porcelain mug, which I have sold numerous of them and never had one cracked or broken. They were always packed well protected.

Secondly, if a brand new Hermes porcelain mug cracks, the crack mark should be a very clean white mark, same with any high quality porcelain mugs. It shouldn't be black like the photo this buyer uploaded.

Therefore, I strongly believe there is something fishy with this buyer. This buyer only just registered the account in July 2025. So I asked her to show me more photos of the parcel box that she received and also more photo of this mug in multiple angles. She replied with only the photos of the parcel box which is undamaged. I asked her again to show me more photos of the mug and she stopped replying.

This photo with the crack, I strongly believe it is AI generated or photoshopped!

Has anyone else came across with this or similar case?

[twyngwyn]

the whole transaction stinks to high heaven.....I hope you do well, and the 'buyer' gets their just 'exile'

[domino-710]

Sorry Gutter - your story of a car - has no relevance.

Bit  over overboard - even for here - on the parcel.

The parcel has already been through the system to board a flight - the parcel has already been through Customs - good grief.

[gutterpunkz05]

Sorry Dom,  It is irrelevant, what I wanted to report.  MVA. Theft.   Break In etc.  The response is still the same, report it Online or over the phone, we don't actually do that at a Police Station, I mean who actually wants to do paperwork.

Also I do not believe you will find a police officer willing to get involved in a civil dispute and you will be advised to contact a JP etc.

Do you recall the bombing (parcel bomb)   Of the  NCA.   I do.

[springyzone]

---

@imastawka wrote:

Springy, it's a $280 mug , not $170, plus the return postage, so a hefty sum to lose.

---

I got confused with mug price and return postage price, it seems.

Even $170 is an awful lot to lose.

To be honest, I didn't realise there were mugs around that were $280.😮

-------------------------

As for the suggestion someone made of going to a police station to open it. I am not sure police will want to get involved in a civil case or be drawn into any claims about the parcel. It might very well have stickers on it that suggest it has been through the postal system but how can the police know it hasn't been tampered with in the meantime?

Postal workers, if they were to hand over a parcel, could probably witness it being opened on the spot. Whether they would sign anything though, I don't know.

-----------------------

lemonxlemon, it sounds as if you have been through this sort of situation a few times. I haven't looked up your account or sales, but I am wondering, is it worth selling the high priced items internationally?

I don't know what your turnover is, but I have noticed that just about every time someone comes on here to report about being scammed with a high priced item, it seems to be with an international sale and I suspect you're right, the buyer is counting on the fact return postage costs will be prohibitive and will just let the buyer keep the item.

Just because something might look like a scam to those of us on the board, it's always touch and go what ebay will do, from what I have seen.

[lemonxlemon]

@Springyzone

In Australia, normally in a police station or the post office, there is a person who is a JP (Justice of Peace). This person can be a witness to pretty much any documents that is legal, so as long as the document is correctly written, I'm sure they are happy to help out. They are just stating what they see as a witness, not commenting on the outcome.

As for selling high priced items internationally, I'm happy to continue to sell. I'm not running a business, I'm just a private seller selling my own collections. I sold all most 600 items and I ran in to 4 scammers, and I learn from it each time I came across one, and I believe it also helped me to avoid scammers better.

These scammers are just rubbish, throw them away, they will eventually rot and burn. 

I just realised that this scammer has until 18th Sep to post the item...what a long time...

I've already opened bets with my friends, many are betting she will stay silent and disappears lol

[springyzone]

18 Sept seems to be a long time for them to post it back.

Yet the way it is worded, it definitely seems to be the date to be posted by and not the date it has to be back to you by.

I agree with you that scammers are rubbish but there seem to be so many of them around these days on every platform (especially facebook).

I have no idea what your buyer will do. She may send another, cheap mug through or she may decide to be vindictive and actually crack the real mug in a 'So there!' moment. I know the cracks wouldn't match but she would just say it was damaged before transit so obviously got more damaged during the return.

It depends on how much she wants the mug or more to the point, is willing to have paid $250 for it.

I'm really interested to see what she decides, I hope you keep us updated.

[domino-710]

Just to be on the safe side - I would photograph the insides of any mug you have currently listed.

Add them to the listings.

[designers*n*more]

Re the date to send back by…is correct. Not sure when eBay changed it., I’m sure it used to be 7 days to return an item once a dispute was raised and accepted.  I queried with CS as to why a buyer gets 4 weeks to send an item back. The repose was pathetic…along the lines of “well, buyer might work so we need to factor that in”.  When I queried “then why do I as a seller only get 4 days to respond to a dispute, I work too!”  Couldn’t give me an answer on that one🤪

[sandypebbles]

Buyer might have to work on inventing a scam 

Or might need to use the thing for a month before they want their money back 

[lemonxlemon]

UPDATE!

Hi all,

The return case is not closed! This scammer did not manage to post the item back, so it's really obvious that this was a scam attempt! I still don't get why at her last message, she still insisted to try and get an invoice from me though.

I can finally reveal her name: atthes_85

Beware if you come across her!

Thank you all for helping out, really appreciated it!