For about $14, you could buy someone else’s ultrasound photo on Japan’s biggest flea market app. Why you’d want to is another question entirely.

This week, Mercari officially banned the sale of ultrasound images after users raised concerns about how they were being used. The move followed a viral post on X that showed multiple listings of prenatal scans and positive pregnancy tests available for purchase. One user wrote, “What else could they be used for but pregnancy fraud?” Others agreed, noting the only plausible reasons were pranks or something darker.

The darker thing has a name. In Japan, it’s called ninshin sagi—pregnancy fraud—and it typically involves someone pretending to be pregnant to extort money from a former partner. Sometimes the scam targets married men. Sometimes it’s framed as a plea for money to terminate the pregnancy. Either way, visuals help. That’s where the ultrasound photos come in.

メルカリに妊娠エコー写真とか陽性の妊娠検査薬が出品されてるのってなんでなん？？？ pic.twitter.com/LZr3dEJtEL

— 目頭@四毒抜き生活 (@Awakend_Citizen) January 28, 2024

Online Flea Market Bans Ultrasound Photos to Curb Pregnancy Scams

Though there’s no hard evidence that every scan sold online was meant for fraud, the implication was enough. Mercari didn’t elaborate on its decision, but updated its guidelines to add ultrasound photos to its list of prohibited items, starting September 1.

Some people were shocked that these images were being sold at all.

“I just gave birth recently, and I can’t believe there are mothers out there who would sell those photos,” one user wrote in response to the listings.

Others shared urban legend-level examples of how people use these tactics in real life. One person commented, “I once heard about a girl who borrowed her friend’s ultrasound to stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her.”

Pregnancy scams aren’t some brand-new idea. But social media and resale apps are giving them new tools. Flea markets like Mercari already crack down on counterfeit designer bags, fake concert tickets, and pyramid schemes. Now they’re adding fake pregnancies to the list.

The question isn’t really whether these images are definitely being used for fraud. It’s whether anyone should be buying them in the first place. Mercari seems to have decided the answer is no. Still, people online say the ban may only push sales elsewhere. Where there’s demand, there’s usually a workaround.

And if that workaround involves a $14 ultrasound from a stranger online, maybe it’s time to start asking different questions.