A Lyft driver has been accused of using an AI-generated image to create a fake damage fee claim against a teenage passenger.

According to a report by ABC7 News Bay Area, a father and daughter say a recent Lyft trip ended with the driver submitting a fake AI image of a car interior covered in mess in order to justify a cleaning or damage fee.

Bert Gor, who lives in Florida, says his teenage daughter Ella and a friend used Lyft to travel home from the beach on Saturday, May 16. After they finished the trip, Gor says he was notified that a $75 damage fee had been added to the ride cost, linked to an alleged mess the driver claimed the teenagers left in the vehicle.

“In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘These girls are grounded for the whole weekend,'” Gor tells ABC7 News Bay Area.

Gor says he contacted Lyft customer service and requested evidence. He was then sent a photo, provided by the driver, which was said to show the alleged damage. The image showed the back seat and floor of a car with what appears to be spilled food and a drink.

After showing the photo to Ella, Gor says his daughter noticed an AI-generated watermark in the bottom-right corner of the image, which she believed indicated the photo was not real.

“I saw that it was the AI logo, and I was like, ‘That is fake. It’s not real,'” Ella tells the news outlet.

Gor says he raised the issue with Lyft, which then agreed the image was not authentic and issued an apology. After sharing the experience on a local community Facebook page, Gor says others told him they had encountered similar situations. He has since urged the public to be cautious of unexpected damage fees and to look for signs that images may have been generated using AI such as watermarks.

“Lyft takes damage disputes seriously and reviews each matter based on the available information,” A Lyft spokesperson says in a statement to ABC7 News Bay Area on Tuesday. “We have reviewed the rider’s concerns, offered reimbursement, and permanently removed the driver from the platform.”

PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.

Become a PetaPixel Member!

Want an ad-free experience, access to our Sample Galleries, and sweet discounts from photo brands all while supporting independent photo industry publishing? Become a PetaPixel Member today!