Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are reportedly battling scammers who use AI-generated images to sell flower seeds that don’t match what actually grows. A report claims that fake seed listings featuring flowers shaped like birds, butterflies, teddy bears, cat heads and rainbow-colored roses are spreading across major online marketplaces. This may be making it difficult for retailers to identify and remove misleading listings.According to a report by 404 Media, the scam predates the rise of generative AI, but AI image generators have made it easier for sellers to create convincing product photos at scale. The listings advertise seeds using digitally created images of plants that do not exist, while customers often receive different seeds, or none at all.The report says the fake listings range from slightly altered photos of real flowers to fully AI-generated plants. One product that is often misrepresented is the sunflower “teddy bear”. The variety does exist, but instead of showing it as it is, scammers allegedly promoted it with AI-generated images of huge purple teddy-bear-shaped flowers.
Fake plant listings continue to appear across Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces
The report identified multiple sellers on Etsy, eBay, and Amazon who were using AI-generated images to advertise seeds. One Etsy store reportedly combines listings for real plants illustrated with AI-generated images alongside unrelated merchandise, such as AI-generated T-shirts. Customer reviews are mixed: some buyers say the seeds arrived, while others report receiving incorrect seeds or no shipment.The report also points to other listings advertising plants shaped like butterflies, colourful “rainbow” plants and unusual hostas that do not exist in nature. Despite the unrealistic images, some of these listings have reportedly recorded thousands of sales.According to the report, fake rose seeds and rainbow-coloured plants are among the most common items used in these scams because their bright, unusual appearance attracts buyers. Public sales data on eBay, cited by the publication, showed that one seller sold 37,271 packets of fake rose seeds before being removed from the platform, while another listing for a fake teddy bear sunflower recorded 1,301 sales.A moderator of Reddit’s r/mycology community previously told 404 Media that fake seed listings have remained profitable for years.“These listings have remained unchanged for years. It is a profitable business to sell fake seeds since there is no cost involved beyond an envelope and postage, a plastic bag and a few hours to collect random seeds. The selling price may be low, but enough people buy them to make it add up,” the r/mycology moderator told the publication at the time.
How eBay responded as concerns extend beyond refunds
Beyond financial losses for buyers, the report says the scams could create environmental risks. Customers who unknowingly plant seeds different from those advertised may introduce unintended or invasive plant species into local ecosystems.The report also noted that several US states issued warnings last year about unsolicited mystery seed packets linked to a separate scam in which recipients received seeds they had never ordered. Those mailings were reportedly used to generate fake online reviews for unrelated products.Among the companies named in the report, eBay said it has measures in place to detect misleading AI-generated listings.“Trust is foundational to eBay’s marketplace and we have policies and controls in place to help detect and prevent fraudulent activity on our marketplace, including misleading AI-generated images that violate our listing practices policy. We work diligently to prevent and remove non-compliant listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms, AI-supported monitoring by in-house specialists, and through close partnerships with regulators. We continue to invest in tools and technologies and we encourage users to report suspicious activity and, where we identify behaviour that violates our policies, we take appropriate action,” an eBay spokesperson told 404 Media in an email. The report added that Etsy and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Other similar fake seed listings are also promoted on dedicated websites and in plant communities on Reddit and Facebook, where experienced gardeners regularly warn buyers about misleading AI-generated images, the publication added.
