AI grifters are creating fake Black people to sell Shein junk

Someone is using AI to create fake Black influencers who cry on camera about their struggling small businesses. These generated personas, like one named Aliyah who appeared in country-western gear, post emotional videos begging for support while claiming to sell handmade products.

The twist? Nothing about them is real. The products aren't handmade, they're mass-produced dropshipping items you can find on sites like Shein. The people aren't real either, they're AI-generated characters designed to manipulate viewers into buying cheap goods.

These fake accounts are showing up across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. They're using the same playbook: create a sympathetic persona, add an emotional hook, and exploit viewers' desire to support small creators and underrepresented communities.

This matters because it's getting harder to tell what's real on social platforms. If you're scrolling through product recommendations or supporting what you think are independent creators, you might be falling for an AI-generated sales funnel.

The Verge spotted identical belt buckles being sold by multiple AI personas, confirming these aren't actual small businesses. It's a new low for dropshipping schemes, weaponizing both AI generation and racial identity to move products.

For anyone building with AI or thinking about synthetic media, this is a reminder that the technology enables both innovation and exploitation. The same tools that can create helpful content are being used to manufacture fake identities at scale for profit.