Shernette Smith AI image incident — Oct 2024

In October 2024, a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia resident named Shernette Smith fell victim to a deceptive duct-cleaning service that utilized AI-generated imagery to manufacture a need for repairs. After hiring a company found on Facebook Marketplace, Smith was told by workers that her furnace blower motor was covered in mould, a claim supported by a photograph shown to her on a worker's phone. Following the alleged cleaning, she was shown a second photo depicting a pristine, "like-new" motor. However, upon inspecting the equipment herself after the crew departed, Smith discovered the motor remained in its original, dirty state, confirming the work had never been performed.

What happened

The scam relied on a combination of physical presence and digital manipulation to build false credibility. The workers used a "scare tactic" by falsely identifying mould to upsell their services, ultimately charging Smith $300. To validate their claims, the company provided digital photos that were later analyzed by experts. An AI researcher at the University at Buffalo confirmed that the "after" photo contained a Google synth ID watermark and received a 99 percent AI-generated score from detection software.

Investigations into the company, Fresh Air Quality, revealed a broader pattern of fraudulent activity. Cybersecurity experts traced the company's phone numbers to multiple other brands offering identical services, suggesting a rotating network of shell companies designed to evade negative reputations. While the company initially denied wrongdoing, they eventually issued a refund after Smith engaged in persistent communication. Local police categorized the incident as a civil matter rather than criminal fraud, leaving the victim to warn others about the dangers of relying on digital images presented by contractors as proof of work.