Fraud
Claiming an item arrived damaged or not as described, often with staged, edited or AI-generated photos, to get a refund without sending it back.
- 01Item deliveredThe order arrives intact.
- 02Photo madeThe customer stages damage, edits a photo or generates one with an AI image tool.
- 03Claim filedThe claim asks for a refund without a return, citing the damage.
- 04Refund issuedSupport refunds on the photo to avoid a return label and a longer ticket.
- 05Item keptThe customer keeps the item, or resells it.
- !Damage that doesn’t match the material or the packaging
- !Inconsistent lighting, shadows or backgrounds across photos
- !AI watermarks, visual artifacts or missing photo metadata
- !The same photo used across different claims or accounts
- !A refund requested without a return
- !Repeat damage claims from one person, across accounts
- ✓Require the item back for high-value damage claims.
- ✓Ask for a second photo from a different angle, or a short video.
- ✓Check claim photos for reuse across claims and accounts.
- ✓Look at damage claim history per person, across accounts and addresses.
- ✓Keep refund-without-return for customers with a clean history.
What is damage claim fraud?
A damage claim says an item arrived broken, defective or not as described. Many are genuine. A fraudulent one uses a staged, edited or AI-generated photo to get a refund, and usually asks to skip the return.
AI image tools have made this cheaper. A convincing photo of a cracked screen, a torn seam or a stained garment takes seconds to make, and a busy support agent has little time to look closely.
Who it hits
Merchants that refund damage claims on a photo alone, especially for items that are expensive to ship back: furniture, appliances, electronics, beauty and fragile goods.
What it costs
The full refund, with no item recovered, plus the support time spent on each claim. Because the item never comes back, there is nothing to inspect later.
FAQ
Can you spot an AI-generated photo by eye?
Sometimes: odd lighting, warped edges or text that doesn’t read right. The stronger signal is history. One person filing repeat damage claims, or the same photo showing up on different claims, matters more than any single image.
Should every damage claim need a return?
No. Keep refund-without-return for customers with a clean history, and ask for the item back on high-value claims or from repeat claimants.
How Pinch stops it
Claims Automation →
More terms
Fraud
Bricking
Stripping valuable parts from an electronic device and returning it as defective.
Read the definition →
Fraud
Counterfeit returns
Keeping the genuine product and returning a convincing fake in its place.
Read the definition →
Fraud
Empty boxing
Returning an empty box, or one filled with worthless material, and claiming the refund.
Read the definition →
Free lookback · for qualified brands
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01
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02
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What you lost to return and claims abuse, and who took it.
03
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