Jack Knowles started taking a closer look at the Seren Cardiff Jewellery website after his mother became frustrated that her order had not arrived, despite spending hundreds of pounds.
He said he tried to track the order and contact the company, but without success.
“Mum had bought a bracelet from the website and weeks later there was still no parcel,” he said.
“I tried to find parcel tracking or a way of contacting them, but there was nothing.
“We sent loads of emails too, but never got a reply.”
After investigating the website further, Jack said he realised how sophisticated the scam was.
“It looked like a genuine website. It was professional. Mum didn’t realise, and neither did I.”
He believes the growing use of AI is making it easier for scammers to create convincing fake websites.
“It’s quite frightening that AI can produce a website that looks so realistic, and that it’s now so easy to do,” he said.
“It’s going to keep happening unless something is done.”
Det Insp Iolo Edwards of North Wales Police said AI-powered scams were becoming increasingly common.
“Criminals are using technology such as AI to create websites that appear completely legitimate, making it much harder for consumers to spot a scam,” he said.
“The use of AI needs to develop alongside measures that protect the public.
“As the technology advances, it’s important that people can have confidence in what they see online.”
A UK government spokesperson said under the Online Safety Act, companies must protect users from illegal fraud, “including where it’s AI generated”.
“Using the internet to scam people is a vile act and we take this issue incredibly seriously,” they added.
“From next year, major platforms will also have to comply with additional duties under the Act to further protect users from paid-for fraudulent advertising.”