DoorDash Says It Banned Driver Who Seemingly Faked a Delivery Using AI

Food delivery platform DoorDash has confirmed it banned a driver after a viral incident in which an AI-generated image was allegedly used to claim a delivery had been completed falsely.

The incident was first reported by Nexstar and shared publicly by Austin resident Byrne Hobart, who described the experience in a https://x.com/ByrneHobart/status/2004734471267103023

Amazing. DoorDash driver accepted the drive, immediately marked it as delivered, and submitted an AI-generated image of a DoorDash order (left) at our front door (right). pic.twitter.com/aGHQx9eexi — Byrne Hobart (@ByrneHobart) December 27, 2025

“Amazing,” Hobart wrote. “DoorDash driver accepted the drive, immediately marked it as delivered, and submitted an AI-generated image of a DoorDash order (left) at our front door (right).”

As the post gained traction online, Hobart provided additional context, noting that the situation could be fabricated. However, he said another user replied in the same thread, claiming a similar incident had occurred in Austin involving a driver with the same display name.

Adding an FAQ:

Did this really happen?

Yes, it did.

Why should I trust you?

You shouldn't trust me all that much, unless you're already familiar with me. Lots of people make up stories online for clout. This one does, however, happen to be true. I don't think there's any… — Byrne Hobart (@ByrneHobart) December 28, 2025

Hobart speculated that the driver may have used a hacked account on a jailbroken phone and obtained an image of his front door through a DoorDash feature that shows photos from previous deliveries made to the address.

In a statement provided to TechCrunch, a DoorDash spokesperson said the company took swift action after reviewing the incident.

“After quickly investigating this incident, our team permanently removed the Dasher’s account and ensured the customer was made whole,” the spokesperson said. “We have zero tolerance for fraud and use a combination of technology and human review to detect and prevent bad actors from abusing our platform.”

The incident highlights growing concerns around the misuse of AI-generated content and how such tools could be exploited for fraud on consumer platforms.