A digital deception campaign is exploiting AI technology to create fake Black influencers who emotionally manipulate viewers into purchasing mass-produced Shein merchandise at inflated prices. One such persona is "Aliyah," depicted as a light-skinned Black woman in country-western attire, who begs viewers on TikTok to help save her supposedly struggling handmade belt buckle business. "Even as a Black woman, I have more faith that white women will stay 13 seconds to save my belt buckle business," reads onscreen text in her March video, as she wipes away tears. The products she claims to handcraft are identical to buckles available directly on Shein for approximately one-quarter of the price she's asking. The deception has several telltale signs. Aliyah's voice sounds robotic and flat, completely disconnected from the emotional display on screen. In one clip, she appears to be sewing a leather belt in a location where no sewing would typically occur. When she wipes tears from her cheek, the liquid on her face and below disappears in an unnatural pattern. The Verge discovered multiple accounts featuring the same background, tabletop, and spool of twine, but with different AI-generated characters selling the same products. This scheme extends far beyond belt buckles. Dozens of accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook use comparable emotional narratives to promote various dropshipping products including boot-shaped mugs, crochet bags, and cardigans. While some videos carry labels indicating AI generation, many do not, leaving consumers to identify the manipulation themselves. The practice highlights how bad actors are weaponizing both artificial intelligence and appeals to racial identity and sympathy to profit from deceptive e-commerce operations.