As AI-generated images become more realistic, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a real photograph and an AI-created image. In romance scams, it’s important to remember that a photo alone is no longer proof that someone is real.

Signs a Photo May Be AI-Generated

🖐️ Hands and Fingers Look Odd

• Extra fingers
• Missing fingers
• Fingers fused together
• Unnatural hand positions

👂 Ears and Jewelry Don’t Match

• One earring missing
• Earrings changing shape
• Different-sized ears
• Glasses that don’t sit correctly

👀 Eyes Look Unnatural

• Eyes pointing in slightly different directions
• Unusual reflections
• Extremely perfect appearance
• “Glass-like” stare

🦷 Teeth Look Too Perfect

• Teeth may appear unusually uniform
• Blurred or distorted teeth when zoomed in

👕 Clothing Problems

• Buttons don’t line up
• Strange wrinkles
• Logos or text appear distorted or unreadable

🏠 Background Issues

• Bent door frames
• Odd shadows
• Objects blending together
• Furniture or architecture that looks slightly “off”

💇 Hair Anomalies

• Hair merging into clothing
• Strands disappearing unnaturally
• Blurry edges around the hair

Signs a Photo May Be Real but Stolen

Many romance scammers do not use AI photos. Instead, they steal real photos from:

• Models
• Military personnel
• Doctors
• Engineers
• Celebrities
• Widows and widowers
• Social media users

Warning signs include:

• Reverse image searches finding the same photo under another name.
• Photos appearing on multiple social media accounts.
• Professional-quality photos with little personal content.
• A person who refuses live video verification.

Best Ways to Verify Someone

✅ Request a live video call.

✅ Ask them to perform a specific action during the call (wave, hold up a certain number of fingers, say your name).

✅ Reverse-image search their photos using tools such as:

• Google Images⁠
• TinEye⁠
• Yandex Images⁠

✅ Look for a consistent digital footprint over many years.

✅ Be cautious if every photo looks professionally taken or unusually attractive.

The Most Important Rule

A scammer can use:

• Real photos,
• Stolen photos,
• AI-generated photos,
• AI video,
• Deepfake video,
• Or a combination of all of these.

The real test is behavior, not appearance. If someone you met online quickly professes love, avoids meeting in person, invents emergencies, asks for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or banking help, those are much stronger indicators of a romance scam than the photos themselves.

For organizations like ScamHaters United, a simple message is:

“Don’t verify the photo. Verify the person.”

ChatGBT/SHU