The new returns reality

Drawing on Riskified’s 2026 return abuse report surveying 2,091 consumers across seven markets, this post finds that 50% of consumers have used gen AI tools to help draft return or refund claims and that 85% view some deceptive return practices as acceptable. Social media drives return “hacks” unevenly across markets (93% exposure in China versus 40% in the US), and leading retailers respond with selective friction rather than blanket restrictions, leaning on behavioral history and identity intelligence over claim quality alone.