AI grifters are creating fake Black people to sell Shein junk

What happened

According to The Verge’s source item, AI grifters are creating fake Black people to sell Shein junk, Aliyah, a light-skinned Black woman dressed in country-western gear, is struggling to sell metal buckles she handmade on TikTok. In a video for the social media platform from March, she cries to the camera and pleads for views: “Even as a black woman, I have more faith that white women will stay 13 seconds [on […] TikTok sellers that appear to be AI generated, in tears. | The Verge Aliyah, a light-skinned Black woman dressed in country-western gear, is struggling to sell metal buckles she handmade on TikTok. In a video for the social media platform from March, she cries to the camera and pleads for views: “Even as a black woman, I have more faith that white women will stay 13 seconds [on this video] to save my belt buckle business,” the onscreen text reads. She wipes a tear off her cheek. But Aliyah isn’t real, and neither are her supposedly handmade products - she’s one of many AI

Context

The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-05-30T13:00:00+00:00.

What to watch

Open questions include whether primary sources issue follow-up statements, whether local or market impacts become clearer, and whether additional reporting changes the timeline or adds material context.

Source

Primary source: AI grifters are creating fake Black people to sell Shein junk via The Verge. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.