Exactly this!! Your point about the scratches/marks looking like they can be wiped away is the perfect explanation. In fact, I have a dedicated high quality microfiber cloth that I use to clean and wipe down my screen. The scratches can’t be felt and only can be seen at a certain angle.
I know it’s being overly obsessive about my device, but for crying out loud, I’ve only had the device for a matter of weeks. And, like yourself, my 12 Pro that I had for 2 years did not have these marks/scratches on the screen.
It’s frustrating when everyone assumes that we are careless with our phones and/or didn’t notice when the scratches occurred.