Police said a Hengshan resident placed more than 100 orders in four months, won refunds without returns using fabricated spoilage images, and allegedly made more than 16,000 yuan.
A Hengshan, Hunan resident surnamed Tan is accused of exploiting e-commerce after-sales policies by ordering high-priced fruit including durian and cherries, then submitting AI-generated images that appeared to show rotten or moldy deliveries. Police said he placed more than 100 orders over four months, obtained refunds without returning the goods, and then resold the intact fruit, allegedly defrauding more than 16,000 yuan. The volume and concentration of the claims were significant enough that multiple e-commerce platforms temporarily flagged all of Hengshan County as a high-risk area, illustrating how synthetic images can be used to game automated refund systems.