Artificial intelligence offers enormous opportunities, but unfortunately—it also empowers fraudsters. Increasingly, it is being used to create realistic fake photos submitted to insurance companies and rental property owners.
How Do Scammers Operate?
They target situations where they expect quick cash. For example, a driver files an insurance claim and submits photos of a car with a dented bumper or cracked windshield. In reality, the car is intact and has never been in an accident. It was artificial intelligence that added the damage.
A similar scheme appears in the rental market. A tenant ending a lease sends the landlord pictures showing scratched furniture or a severely damaged floor. In truth, the items are in good condition—the AI has simply “drawn in” the defects.
Why Does It Work?
“Image-editing tools, once given precise instructions, generate damage with astonishing realism. They replicate light, shadow, and material textures so convincingly that it’s hard to dispute the results. Often, they modify only a small section of the photo while leaving the rest unchanged. These tools are easily accessible and require no advanced editing skills,” explains Elwira Charmuszko, a cybersecurity expert.
What Are the Consequences?
Insurance companies may end up paying compensation based on falsified evidence. To cover such losses, they often resort to raising premiums for all customers—including honest ones.
Tenants, on the other hand, may face unjust financial penalties. They can have deductions taken from their security deposits or be forced to pay for alleged damages that never existed. In some cases, this escalates into long and costly court disputes.
The outcome is higher premiums, declining trust, and rising expenses on security systems—burdens that affect everyone, even those who have never tried to cheat.
What’s Next?
Artificial intelligence is not going away. On the contrary, it will become even more sophisticated in creating fake images. That’s why a two-track approach is essential: developing “defensive” tools on one side and building public awareness on the other. People must learn that not every piece of visual evidence should be taken at face value.
Source: CEO.com.pl
