{"id":1902696,"date":"2026-04-25T15:18:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T12:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1902696"},"modified":"2026-04-25T15:18:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T12:18:32","slug":"meta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1902696","title":{"rendered":"Meta accused of profiting from scam ads in class-action lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/01t4lVOJfQ4yniQdjhw8Lq8\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1777129932.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"mx-auto max-w-5xl\" data-seamless-content data-seamless-title=\"Meta accused of profiting from scam ads in class-action lawsuit\" data-seamless-slug=\"meta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit\" data-seamless-canonical-url=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit\" data-seamless-analytics='{\"page_view_type\":\"Standard\",\"is_seamless_page\":true,\"template\":\"article\",\"content_type\":\"article\",\"split_test_identifier\":null,\"split_test_variant\":null,\"object_uuid\":\"01t4lVOJfQ4yniQdjhw8Lq8\",\"object_type\":\"article\",\"title\":\"Meta accused of profiting from scam ads in class-action lawsuit\",\"canonical_url\":\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit\",\"full_published_date\":\"04\/25\/2026\",\"original_published_date\":\"04\/25\/2026\",\"channel_name\":\"Tech\",\"focus_keyword\":\"meta lawsuit\",\"story_flags\":\"\",\"content_source_name\":\"Internal\",\"video_show_name\":\"\",\"content_source_type\":\"Internal\",\"author_name\":\"Anna Iovine\",\"day_published\":25,\"month_published\":4,\"year_published\":2026,\"days_since_updated\":0,\"weeks_since_updated\":0,\"days_since_originally_published\":0,\"weeks_since_originally_published\":0,\"categories\":\"\",\"sections\":\"Tech\",\"tags\":\"meta,scams\",\"post_lead_type\":\"Alt Image Lead\"}'>\n<div class=\"mx-auto max-w-5xl lg:px-8 lg:mx-auto\">\n<header class=\" max-w-7xl z-10 px-4 mt-8 text-primary-400 font-sans mx-auto\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap subtitle-2 \">\n<div class=\"max-w-3xl\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"text-gray-700 subtitle-2 text-uppercase\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\" aria-label=\"Navigate to the Home page\">Home<\/a><span class=\"ml-1\">&gt;<\/span><a class=\"ml-1 \" href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/tech\" aria-label=\"Navigate to the Tech category\">Tech<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"mt-4 header-100 leading-tight max-w-5xl \">Meta accused of profiting from scam ads in class-action lawsuit<\/h1>\n<div class=\"mt-2 leading-tight md:leading-normal text-xl max-w-4xl \">A Meta spokesperson said the company &#8220;aggressively combats scams.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div class=\"w-full relative z-10 items-center subtitle-2 mt-8 text-left md:flex md:flex-wrap md:items-center md:space-x-8 \">\n<div class=\"flex relative\">\n                                        \u00a0By\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-block md:relative\" aria-describedby=\"flyout\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/author\/anna-iovine\" class=\"underline-link\">Anna Iovine<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"absolute left-0 z-top mt-2 md:left-auto md:top-[calc(100%_+_16px)] md:-mt-2\" id=\"flyout\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-label=\"Author Bio Flyout\">\n<div class=\"w-96 max-w-[calc(100vw_-_42px)] bg-white px-4 py-6 md:max-w-[calc(100vw_-_32px)]\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center md:flex-row md:mb-2 md:space-x-8\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center space-y-4 text-center md:flex-row md:justify-start md:space-y-0 md:space-x-3 md:text-left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-14 h-14 rounded-full border border-gray-300\" src=\"https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/authors\/031XfQViFa19eBzOgOJOaiP\/image.fill.size_1774x1974.v1673288127.jpg\" alt=\"anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1974\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col space-y-1\">\n<div class=\"text-2xl font-semibold leading-tight\">Anna Iovine<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-lg !mt-0\">Associate Editor, Features<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-2 mb-2 font-normal md:mt-0 line-clamp-7\">\n                Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/annaroseiovine.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">Bluesky<\/a>.\n            <\/div>\n<p><a class=\"text-[.875rem] !text-secondary-300 underline\" data-module=\"author-byline\" data-item=\"author-list\" data-element=\"author-name\" data-position=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/author\/anna-iovine\" aria-label=\"'s Full Author Bio\">Read Full Bio<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                                            \u00a0on\u00a0<time datetime=\"Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:18:32 +0000\">April 25, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-initial content-start mt-4 text-base md:mt-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Farticle%2Fmeta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit\" data-ga-element=\"social-share-link\" data-ga-action=\"social_share_link\" data-ga-position=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"facebook\" data-ga-click aria-label=\"Facebook Share\" class=\"pr-3 hover:text-primary-400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\"><span class=\"sr-only\">Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Farticle%2Fmeta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit&amp;text=Meta+accused+of+profiting+from+scam+ads+in+class-action+lawsuit\" data-ga-element=\"social-share-link\" data-ga-action=\"social_share_link\" data-ga-position=\"2\" data-ga-label=\"twitter\" data-ga-click aria-label=\"Twitter Share\" class=\"px-3 hover:text-primary-400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\"><span class=\"sr-only\">Share on Twitter<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Farticle%2Fmeta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit&amp;title=Meta+accused+of+profiting+from+scam+ads+in+class-action+lawsuit\" data-ga-element=\"social-share-link\" data-ga-action=\"social_share_link\" data-ga-position=\"3\" data-ga-label=\"flipboard\" data-ga-click aria-label=\"Flipboard Share\" class=\"px-3 hover:text-primary-400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\"><span class=\"sr-only\">Share on Flipboard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mx-auto max-w-5xl lg:px-8 lg:mx-auto\">\n<div class=\"max-w-7xl px-4 mt-10 text-primary-400 font-sans mx-auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-full\" src=\"https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/01t4lVOJfQ4yniQdjhw8Lq8\/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1777129932.jpg\" alt=\"Meta logo on a smartphone screen in front of a screen showing icons for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Meta apps\" width=\"1248\" height=\"702\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-2 leading-none text-left\"><span class=\"font-sans text-gray-600 subtitle-2\">Credit: Samuel Boivin\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"px-4 mx-auto max-w-7xl\">\n<hr class=\"mt-12 border-gray-100 border-top\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"article\" data-autopogo class=\"mt-8 font-serif editor-content\">\n<p>This week, a class-action lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C. against <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/category\/meta\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">Meta<\/a>, alleging that the company deceived Facebook users about scam advertisements and profited from it. <\/p>\n<p>Tycko and Zavareei LLP and Tech Justice Law filed the <a href=\"https:\/\/techjusticelaw.org\/press-releases\/meta_scam_ads_lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">complaint<\/a> on April 21 under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act on behalf of the Consumer Federation of America and Washington, D.C. Facebook users. The complaint states that while Meta publicly claims to fight scams, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigations\/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">internal documents<\/a> (published by Reuters in Dec. 2025) show it&#8217;s making billions off of them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-3xl font-sans text-lg leading-normal md:text-xl md:leading-7\"><span class=\"font-bold text-primary-400\">SEE ALSO:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-facebook-fake-ai-generated-shops-ads-scam\" class=\"flex items-center text-secondary-300\"><span class=\"ml-1\">Fake AI-generated shops, ads flourish on Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The documents show that in 2024, Meta projected that around 10 percent of its revenue \u2014 around $16 billion \u2014 would come from advertising scam and banned products. Users are apparently exposed to 15 billion &#8220;high-risk&#8221; scam ads each day, per the documents. Meta apparently charged these high-risk advertisers more while rejecting 96 percent of valid user fraud reports. <\/p>\n<section aria-label=\"Newsletter Sign-Up\" class=\"relative invisible my-12 mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl md:my-16 ziff-component accent-cut-for-gradient-bg accent-cut-border-for-gradient-bg bg-gradient-fuchsia-secondary p-[2px]\">\n<div class=\"absolute left-8 px-2 font-sans text-lg font-bold leading-8 bg-white top-[-15px]\"><span class=\"text-gradient-fuchsia-secondary\">Mashable Light Speed<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"p-8 bg-white md:p-10\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col mx-auto font-sans\" data-ga-impression data-ga-category=\"newsletters\" data-ga-module=\"incontent_nl_signup\" data-ga-label=\"mashablelightspeed\">\n<div class=\"font-bold leading-tight text-left md:leading-8 header-300\">Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-2 leading-tight text-left bg-white md:mt-0 md:leading-8 header-600\">Sign up for Mashable&#8217;s weekly Light Speed newsletter.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-4 font-sans text-xs leading-normal text-left subtitle-1\">\n                    By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ziffdavis.com\/terms-of-use\" class=\"underline text-secondary-300 hover:text-primary-400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ziffdavis.com\/ztg-privacy-policy\" class=\"underline text-secondary-300 hover:text-primary-400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.\n                <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"py-1 mx-auto max-w-xl text-center\">\n<div class=\"header-300\">Thanks for signing up!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mx-auto mt-8 mb-12 w-full max-w-3xl font-sans md:mt-12 md:mb-16 text-primary-400\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-row justify-center text-lg text-center md:text-xl\">\n<hr class=\"mx-auto border border-gray-100\"><strong class=\"py-4 mx-4 w-full min-w-max text-2xl\">You May Also Like<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"mx-auto border border-gray-100\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"mx-auto w-full border border-gray-100\"><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Meta has, as a matter of company policy, deliberately profited from rampant, inexcusable harm to users on its platforms,&#8221; attorney and managing director at Tech Justice Law, Sarah Kay Wiley, stated in a press release. &#8220;Meta told its users it was fighting fraud. Internally, it was charging scammers a premium for access to those same users. That is not a failure of enforcement, that is a business model built on predatory deception.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A Meta spokesperson told Mashable, &#8220;These allegations misrepresent the reality of our work and we will fight them.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-stories\" data-ga-impression data-ga-module=\"related_stories\" data-ga-element=\"related_stories_link\" data-ga-item=\"title\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-row items-center\">\n<hr>\n<div class=\"px-4 mx-auto mt-0 w-full max-w-3xl font-sans text-2xl font-bold tracking-normal leading-normal text-center whitespace-nowrap shrink\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/adultfriendfinder-scams-to-avoid\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-action=\"related_stories\" data-ga-position=\"1\">5 AdultFriendFinder scams to avoid<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-ai-parent-supervision-see-topics\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-action=\"related_stories\" data-ga-position=\"2\">Meta to let parents view topics teens discuss with AI<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-employee-surveillance-ai-training\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-action=\"related_stories\" data-ga-position=\"3\">Meta will track employee mouse movements and keystrokes for AI training, report says<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/castfishing-scam-is-scarily-like-sextortion\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-action=\"related_stories\" data-ga-position=\"4\">&#8216;Castfishing&#8217; is the latest scam, and it&#8217;s scarily like sextortion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/how-to-avoid-getting-scammed-online-2026-australia\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-action=\"related_stories\" data-ga-position=\"5\">How to avoid getting scammed online in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;We aggressively combat scams across our platforms to protect people and businesses \u2014 last year alone, we removed over 159 million scam ads, 92 percent of which we took down before anyone reported them, and took down 10.9 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram associated with criminal scam centers. We fight scams because they are bad for business \u2014 people don&#8217;t want them, advertisers don&#8217;t want them, and we don&#8217;t want them either,&#8221; the spokesperson continued.<\/p>\n<p>The complaint comes weeks after <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-rolls-out-scam-protection-warnings-to-facebook-instagram\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">Meta announced new tools to fight scams<\/a> on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram, including working with law enforcement. In recent years, Meta has reportedly rejected ads from legitimate businesses, like the <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-rejected-unbound-sex-toy-ads-until-marketed-to-men\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">sex toy shop Unbound<\/a> (until they created fake ads targeted at men) and <a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-rejects-period-care-ads-for-being-adult-political-daye\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\">healthcare platform Daye<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"mx-auto max-w-7xl\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap mt-8 w-full font-sans subtitle-2 editor-content\">\n<p><span class=\"mr-1.5 font-sans font-bold\">Topics<\/span><a class=\"underline-link hover:no-underline text-secondary-300 mr-1.5\" href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/category\/meta\" aria-label=\"Navigate to the Meta tag\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\">Meta<\/a><a class=\"underline-link hover:no-underline text-secondary-300 \" href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/category\/scams\" aria-label=\"Navigate to the Scams tag\" data-ga-click data-ga-label=\"$text\">Scams<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"mx-auto mt-12 max-w-3xl border-t border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<div class=\"py-8 w-full\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center pb-8 border-b border-gray-200 md:flex-row md:space-x-8\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center space-y-4 text-center md:flex-row md:justify-start md:space-y-0 md:space-x-6 md:text-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-24 h-24 rounded-full border border-gray-200\" src=\"https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/authors\/031XfQViFa19eBzOgOJOaiP\/image.fill.size_100x100.v1673288127.jpg\" alt=\"anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col space-y-2\">\n<div class=\"w-full font-bold header-200\">Anna Iovine<\/div>\n<div class=\"w-full text-xl font-bold\">Associate Editor, Features<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mx-0 max-w-3xl font-serif editor-content\">\n<p>Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/annaroseiovine.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" data-ga-click=\"1\" data-ga-label=\"$text\" data-ga-item=\"text-link\" data-ga-module=\"content_body\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"my-16 mx-auto max-w-xl text-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/images\/seamless-keep-scrolling.png\" alt=\"Mashable Potato\"><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/meta-accused-of-profiting-from-scam-ads-in-class-action-lawsuit&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/01t4lVOJfQ4yniQdjhw8Lq8\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1777129932.jpg&#8221;] Home&gt;Tech Meta accused of profiting from scam ads in class-action lawsuit A Meta spokesperson said the company &#8220;aggressively combats scams.&#8221; \u00a0By\u00a0 Anna Iovine Anna Iovine Associate Editor, Features Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,75],"class_list":["post-1902696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-mashable-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1902696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1902696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1902696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1902696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}