'Ghost stores' and AI scams scare unsuspecting artist
Unsuspecting shoppers are being warned about an online store claiming to sell handmade glassware from a non-existent Port Fairy artist.
A Port Fairy glassblower has been contacted by unsuspecting shoppers tricked into buying fake artwork. A consumer watchdog says it's a 'ghost store' using AI-generated images and stories to trick buyers. Port Fairy glassblower Robert Gatt received emails from unknown sources, asking him to connect with another artist named Eleanor Whitmore, whose husband had tragically died.
Gatt, who is the only glassblower in the town, repeatedly told callers he was not the Eleanor Whitmore and neither was her husband. The website behind the scam allegedly sold sets of nautical-themed drinking glasses for $250. Gatt said the scam targeted elderly people, and the ACCC warned about such ghost stores, leading to more than a dozen suspected sites ceasing operations.
The incident highlights the need for stronger laws to protect online shoppers and raises concerns about AI's role in artist consent and attribution.
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