WASHINGTON: A new watchdog report has revealed that scammers are pouring millions of dollars into political ads on Meta’s platforms, using deepfake videos of well-known figures including former U.S. President Donald Trump to trick people into believing in fake government benefits.
According to the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP), at least 63 advertisers spent nearly $49 million on Facebook and Instagram campaigns that promoted bogus stimulus checks, government spending cards, and healthcare payments. These ads, many aimed at seniors, reached tens of thousands of users before being flagged and removed.
One ad from the “Relief Eligibility Center” used an AI-generated video of Trump, falsely promising Americans a free $5,000 check. The deepfake was based on a real Rose Garden speech, but the audio was altered to mislead viewers. Targeting people over 65 across more than 20 U.S. states, the ad lured victims to fraudulent websites.
Other fake ads featured manipulated clips of billionaire Elon Musk and senior Democratic lawmakers like Bernie Sanders, continuing a long-running trend of impersonation scams that fact-checkers have repeatedly warned about.
Despite Meta’s rules requiring U.S. political advertisers to provide official ID and a verified mailing address, TTP found that nearly half of the scam accounts were still active this week, even after violating policies. Meta did eventually disable 35 ad accounts, but only after many ran hundreds of ads. In some cases, single accounts spent more than $1 million before being shut down.
Meta defended its efforts, saying it “strictly prohibits deceptive ads” and is investing in new technology to detect scams. But watchdogs argue the company’s content moderation is too lax, allowing fraudsters to exploit AI tools, public confusion about benefits, and loopholes in enforcement.
The rise of deepfake driven scams comes as U.S. regulators warn of a broader fraud crisis. The Federal Trade Commission recently reported a four-fold increase since 2020 in older Americans losing $10,000 or more to scams sometimes their entire savings.
The findings highlight a troubling reality: while technology evolves, so do scammers and vulnerable citizens are often left paying the price.
