- Joined
- Jun 11, 2004
- Messages
- 176
Recently, Instagram and Facebook have been flooded with ads from fraudulent pearl vendors. We discussed this here on PG, and there's a list of a few fakes in a thread here - mostly obvious, eBay-level fakes, like this one.
There is a new level of fake that we've seen advertising on Instagram, and this one has taken it to another level, Manea Pearls - ManeaPearls.com
They claim to be a Tahitian pearl farming family closing their doors after 60 years of business.
They are using AI Generated images of a family, supposedly the pearls farmers. They have an AI generated description About the Family Behind Manea Pearls, and from the surface, the website appears deceptively legitimate. It tells the story of a family involved in the pearl business for 60 years, finally closing their doors and selling out all their inventory at substantial discount.
This use of AI-generated content can easily mislead even experienced buyers.
If you review it more closely, you might recognize that most of the images are taken from The Pearl Source, like these -
The website has a supposed mailing address, but it conveniently leaves out the fact that the address is in Hong Kong:
Manea International
BRN/CRN: 677051842
Suite C, Level 7, World Trust
Tower, 50 Stanley Street,
Central
If you do a search for this address on Google, you'll find several scam websites set up. Including this one for Alore Pearls (https://alorepearls.com/) - a duplicate of Manea Pearls with a different family name, ready to start advertising on Instagram again as soon as Manea Pearls becomes too toxic.
What makes this scam more dangerous than the others is that while the prices are too low to be legitimate, they are high enough that a lot of people are falling for the scam, convincing buyers that it represents a legitimate, longstanding pearl family business.
While the website appears legitimate at first glance, it is entirely fraudulent.
For example, they claim to have been featured in National Geographic, Island Origins and Natural Magazine. Not true.
They claim to have 9755 reviews on TrustPilot. Again, not true.
This is their actual TrustPilot reviews page, showing five reviews all calling out the company as being a fraud.
When people do make the mistake of purchasing from them, they actually do receive something in the mail.
This is a supposed pair of Hanadama Akoya pearl earrings someone on Reddit received.
This is a supposed strand of Tahitian pearls another person from Reddit received.
The ones who are receiving actual pearls are receiving cheap Chinese freshwater pearls, and other people are complaining that they are receiving fake pearls. It looks like a lot of people are being scammed by this website.
With AI, it's now so easy for scammers to create websites, stories, images and realistic-looking photographs. If you're shopping for pearls online, PLEASE research the company you're considering purchasing from.
Here are a couple of tips to shop safely:
1. Check the pearl photos for authenticity.
Using your mouse, right click on the image and select "Search with Google Lens." Google will show you whether the site is the authentic site for the photo, or whether it's been "borrowed."
2. Ask for specific, actual photos of the piece you're going to receive.
For example, show me a photo of the piece I am going to receive, shot on a white piece of paper next to a window in natural light, etc.
3. Verify the story.
The story of the family tradition at Manea Pearls should raise red flags. None of the people listed seem to have any real digital footprint. That would be near impossible for a company in business for 60 years.
4. Call the number.
Make sure they have a working telephone number. Is it set up for show? Is it a Google number that connects you to a call center or mailbox in China?
Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated with AI-generated stories, images, and fake family histories, making it harder to spot frauds. Always dig deeper, ask questions, and demand proof before purchasing. Legitimate pearl businesses will always provide transparency. Stay cautious and do your research to help protect yourself and others from scams.
There is a new level of fake that we've seen advertising on Instagram, and this one has taken it to another level, Manea Pearls - ManeaPearls.com
They claim to be a Tahitian pearl farming family closing their doors after 60 years of business.
They are using AI Generated images of a family, supposedly the pearls farmers. They have an AI generated description About the Family Behind Manea Pearls, and from the surface, the website appears deceptively legitimate. It tells the story of a family involved in the pearl business for 60 years, finally closing their doors and selling out all their inventory at substantial discount.
This use of AI-generated content can easily mislead even experienced buyers.
If you review it more closely, you might recognize that most of the images are taken from The Pearl Source, like these -
The website has a supposed mailing address, but it conveniently leaves out the fact that the address is in Hong Kong:
Manea International
BRN/CRN: 677051842
Suite C, Level 7, World Trust
Tower, 50 Stanley Street,
Central
If you do a search for this address on Google, you'll find several scam websites set up. Including this one for Alore Pearls (https://alorepearls.com/) - a duplicate of Manea Pearls with a different family name, ready to start advertising on Instagram again as soon as Manea Pearls becomes too toxic.
What makes this scam more dangerous than the others is that while the prices are too low to be legitimate, they are high enough that a lot of people are falling for the scam, convincing buyers that it represents a legitimate, longstanding pearl family business.
While the website appears legitimate at first glance, it is entirely fraudulent.
For example, they claim to have been featured in National Geographic, Island Origins and Natural Magazine. Not true.
They claim to have 9755 reviews on TrustPilot. Again, not true.
This is their actual TrustPilot reviews page, showing five reviews all calling out the company as being a fraud.
When people do make the mistake of purchasing from them, they actually do receive something in the mail.
This is a supposed pair of Hanadama Akoya pearl earrings someone on Reddit received.
This is a supposed strand of Tahitian pearls another person from Reddit received.
The ones who are receiving actual pearls are receiving cheap Chinese freshwater pearls, and other people are complaining that they are receiving fake pearls. It looks like a lot of people are being scammed by this website.
With AI, it's now so easy for scammers to create websites, stories, images and realistic-looking photographs. If you're shopping for pearls online, PLEASE research the company you're considering purchasing from.
Here are a couple of tips to shop safely:
1. Check the pearl photos for authenticity.
Using your mouse, right click on the image and select "Search with Google Lens." Google will show you whether the site is the authentic site for the photo, or whether it's been "borrowed."
2. Ask for specific, actual photos of the piece you're going to receive.
For example, show me a photo of the piece I am going to receive, shot on a white piece of paper next to a window in natural light, etc.
3. Verify the story.
The story of the family tradition at Manea Pearls should raise red flags. None of the people listed seem to have any real digital footprint. That would be near impossible for a company in business for 60 years.
4. Call the number.
Make sure they have a working telephone number. Is it set up for show? Is it a Google number that connects you to a call center or mailbox in China?
Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated with AI-generated stories, images, and fake family histories, making it harder to spot frauds. Always dig deeper, ask questions, and demand proof before purchasing. Legitimate pearl businesses will always provide transparency. Stay cautious and do your research to help protect yourself and others from scams.
