In a major step to combat online fraud, Meta has filed lawsuits against deceptive advertisers based in Brazil, China and Vietnam for running celeb-bait and scam campaigns across its platforms. The company said it has suspended their payment methods, disabled related accounts and blocked the domains used to carry out the scams.
At least 3 advertisers, including 2 from Brazil and 1 from China, were found running celeb-bait scams that misused images and voices of public figures to promote fake healthcare products and fraudulent investment schemes. Those sued include Vitor Lourenço de Souza and Milena Luciani Sanchez, along with B&B Suplementos e Cosméticos Ltda., Brites Academia de Treinamento Ltda., Daniel de Brites Macieira Cordeiro, José Victor de Brites Chaves de Araújo and China-based Shenzhen Yunzheng Technology Co., Ltd. The ads redirected users to fake platforms designed to steal personal data or money. “To fight celeb-bait scams, we developed protections for celebrities whose images are repeatedly used in these schemes,” Meta said. “This program currently protects the images of more than 500,000 celebrities and public figures around the world.”
Meta also issued cease and desist letters to 8 marketing consultants offering fake “un-ban” services and access to trusted ad accounts to bypass enforcement systems. Separately, it sued Vietnam-based advertiser Lý Văn Lâm for using cloaking techniques to evade ad reviews. In that case, users were lured with discounted branded items, redirected to fake websites and charged unauthorized recurring fees through subscription fraud.
The crackdown follows broader concerns about scam ads. A recent investigation found that 19% of Meta’s $18 billion ad revenue in China in 2024 came from scams and banned content. Another study of 14.5 million ads in the E.U. and U.K. found 30.99% linked to scams, phishing, or malware, generating over 300 million impressions in under 1 month. Meanwhile, Cambodian authorities reported 48 anti-scam operations in the first 9 months of 2025, arresting 168 individuals and deporting 2,722 people, cutting scam activity by 50%, according to officials including Prime Minister Hun Manet.
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