Lawless online advertising? Types of fraud and scams in digital ads

In this report, we present and analyze the different types of fraudulent ads that victimize users of Meta platforms. From exploratory searches in their ad library, we mapped the persuasion strategies used by scammers, the types of profiles they hide behind and the external websites to which they redirect victims to carry out scams.

We found advertisements that involve extortion and theft of personal information, as well as the sale of false or unproven products, financial fraud and suspicious services. So, we seek to expand public understanding of the digital influence industry, pointing out how disinformation tactics and strategies in the context of digital advertising serve the profit of digital platforms, even despite their own terms of use.

See the report and complementary technical note below: