Design Scams

Hey, how about I start selling my own unique crochet blanket patterns? Isn't this one pretty?

How about this one? I love combining blue, green and violet.

I could make a lot of money, too. Until my customers figure out that these are AI-generated images that I made on Hotpot.ai's art-generator, and whatever pattern I include with them probably will only be a copy of someone else's pattern, or complete nonsense.

Welcome to the new age of online AI scamming.

Reputable, authentic knit and crochet pattern designers are being squeezed out by fake pattern sellers who use AI images to sell patterns that are either dupes or AI generated, too. It's utterly atrocious.

So how can you avoid this kind of thing? An experienced knitter or crocheter can usually spot faked images of finished products, as the stitches are too large and the design is unlikely or impossible. Anything that looks too good to be true generally is. Until we find some way to expose the scammers, my advice is only to buy from established designers you trust, or to use patterns that are free or published in print books.