Surge in Deepfake Political Scam Ads on Meta Platforms, Watchdog Reports

Scammers have become some of the largest political ad spenders on Meta platforms, using deepfake videos of American politicians, including former President Donald Trump, to promote fraudulent government benefits, according to a report released Wednesday by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP).

The nonprofit watchdog identified 63 scam advertisers who collectively spent $49 million on Facebook and Instagram. Their campaigns primarily targeted seniors, promoting fake stimulus checks, government spending cards, and healthcare payments. These ads have reached tens of thousands of users across the platforms.

TTP commented: “The findings show how scammers are taking advantage of advances in artificial intelligence, public confusion over social safety net programs, and lax Meta content moderation to target new victims.”

The report further criticised Meta, stating: “Meta is allowing this activity even though it prohibits scams and claims to invest in scam prevention to keep users safe.”

Meta did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

According to TTP, all 63 identified scam advertisers — who ran over 150,600 political ads — had their content removed by Meta in the past 12 months for violating company policies. However, nearly half continued advertising as of last Tuesday.

Meta reportedly disabled 35 ad accounts, but often after dozens or even hundreds of ads had already run. Six accounts had spent over $1 million before being disabled or deleted.

The scams also exploited Meta’s political advertising rules. Advertisers in the U.S. must undergo a special authorisation process, submitting an official ID and a U.S. mailing address. Yet scammers still managed to bypass these requirements using deepfake videos and other deceptive techniques.

One prominent example, identified by TTP as the Relief Eligibility Center, ran ads in April and May featuring a deepfake Trump video falsely promising Americans stimulus checks.

• The footage was taken from Trump’s speech in the White House Rose Garden in early April, but the words in the ad did not match the official transcript.
• The ad directed users to a website offering a “FREE $5,000 Check from Trump”, targeting men and women over the age of 65 in more than 20 U.S. states.

Fact-checkers have repeatedly warned about bogus stimulus check offers circulating online, particularly on social media platforms.

The TTP report highlights the rapid rise of online scams. Surveys indicate an increasing number of Americans are falling victim to internet scams or impersonation attacks.

• In August, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a more than four-fold increase in complaints since 2020 from older adults who lost $10,000 or more, sometimes even their entire life savings, to scammers impersonating government agencies or legitimate businesses.

The findings reveal how deepfake technology, AI, and lax oversight are enabling scammers to exploit vulnerable populations through political advertising. Experts warn that these trends underline the growing need for stricter platform monitoring and public awareness campaigns to protect users from financial and identity-related fraud.