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Update:
- Meta Platforms has been let off the hook of allegations it is responsible for money lost by its users to third-party scam ads posted on its Facebook platform.
- The judge overseeing the case determined Facebook users had not established that Meta had “materially contributed” to the illegality of the scam ads in question.
- Facebook users have been given the option to amend the class action lawsuit.
- Facebook users had claimed in their class action lawsuit that the company had a policy of “actively soliciting, encouraging and assisting scammers.”
- The judge overseeing the case ruled, however, that the users did not claim Meta had directly participated in the purchases they made on the websites they landed on after clicking on the alleged scam ads.
Facebook Scams Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: A pair of Californians want to represent consumers who have been victims of Facebook scams.
- Why: Facebook has long profited from users’ private information, says the pair’s class action lawsuit, and it is time the tech giant took responsibility and paid users who fall victim to scams on the social media site.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
(08/12/2022)
Facebook scams target millions and a pair of Californians want the tech giant to start paying victims who fall for the deceptive ads, according to a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Lead plaintiffs Christopher Calise and Anastasia Groschen want to represent consumers who have fallen for deceptive ads and Facebook scams. They accuse the social media giant of “actively soliciting, encouraging, and assisting scammers” using Facebook to defraud users and want the company to pay.
Calise and Groschen point out that Facebook collects reams of data from each user — for free.
User information has “enormous financial value,” say the plaintiffs, and Facebook uses the data to target users with ads, including deceptive and misleading ads from scammers.
Facebook Scams Bring Revenue to Social Media Giant
The tech company is well aware that its platform, as well as its Instagram sites are rife with Facebook scams, including bait-and-switch and other schemes intended to defraud users, say the plaintiffs. However, instead of putting a stop to this behavior or even turning a blind eye, Facebook has encouraged scammers to use the site, allege the plaintiffs.
“Facebook actively solicits, encourages, and assists scammers in numerous ways,” states the class action lawsuit.
On the revenue side, the company encourages sales teams to sell Facebook ads to known scammers who repeatedly violate its ad policies, claim the plaintiffs.
Further, Facebook fails to properly police and protect users from scams, allege the plaintiffs. They accuse the company of ignoring hacked accounts, as long as the scammer is paying the tech company for the ad, which is, in reality, a Facebook scam.
Repeated violations of the social media site’s advertising policies by Facebook scammers are ignored as well, claims the class action lawsuit.
“Cracking down on scammers would jeopardize the billions of dollars per year in ad revenue that Facebook collects from scammers,” states the lawsuit.
“Therefore, even as Facebook’s public relations team touts the closing of certain accounts and lawsuits targeting a few scammers, Facebook remains economically motivated to continue soliciting, encouraging, and assisting scammers at the expense of its users.”
The plaintiffs say that a court order forcing the company to take more responsibility for Facebook scams and deceptive advertising is necessary. They want the company to incentivize the protection of users, rather than the sale of ads and also extend the platform’s Purchase Protection program to victims of Facebook scams. They also want the social media giant to disgorge the enormous amount of profit it has made by selling user information to advertisers.
Facebook faces a litany of complaints and legal action concerning the collection of user data and its ad policies. This summer, the tech giant fought a class action lawsuit contending Facebook misrepresented its data privacy practices to get more users and has monopolized the social media market through acquisitions.
Online advertisers have also hit Facebook with a class action lawsuit claiming the company misrepresents the supposed reach of ads on the social media site.
Have you fallen for Facebook scams? We want to hear about it! Tell us what happened in the comment section below.
The plaintiffs are represented by Adam M. Apton, Mark S. Reich, and Courtney E. Maccarone of Levi & Korsinsky, LLP.
The Facebook Scams Class Action Lawsuit is Calise, et al. v. Facebook, Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-06186 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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962 thoughts onMeta Defeats Facebook Scam Ad Class Action
I saw an ad for 20 Dewalt power tools for $69 it said it was a liquidation sale, considering 1 or 2 tools costs that amount or more, I went for it and never received a thing, I also was scammed by a company selling portable hot tubs, selling for $30 when I looked through the ad again it says it’s a lottery ticket to win a portable hot tub, I’m sure I was never entered into any contest, and pretty sure everyone else wasn’t as well,no one received a winning hot tub because I doubt it was a legit contest to begin with…ad me as well, I’m livid …
I didn’t pay attention and pretty sure I got scammed I bought a tabletop game thing on Facebook and the website said one thing n my recept on Paypal says something about miracles def not what I ordered through n then bought these supposed miracle bras same thing I’m so pissed!! It was over 100 dollars
Please add me
On December 2nd I was scrolling Facebook and saw an ad for Amazon’s electronic liquidation palette for sale starting at $29.95 I looked up and saw that it was sponsored by Facebook so I figured it was okay to check it out I purchased the mega pallet and the one size down from that I hadn’t seen anything or heard anything since then I tried to contact them there’s no way to contact them and I feel like I’ve been scammed
I don’t have the money
I’ve been scammed of my life’s savings plus more. I responded to a promotional ad on fb regarding a CRYPTO company he made a lot of money through. The so called company name is TRADE360. I am going through a horror story as I write and all my money is in someone else’s financial wallet. I was given falsevpromises and assurances and told I could withdraw my money at any time, not so.
Instead I had to come up with more money (that I didn’t have) to get my money and any trading profit I supposedly made released to me, they call it a security deposit. I gave them extra believing it was true but over one week later and they are still asking me for more money.
I’m broke destitute and unable to meet my own bill payments.
I’m gutted, please include me in your CLASS ACTION AGAINST META PLATFORM.
Thx
It was an ad regarding Channel Sevens Kochie on the Today show how he had made a lot of money. I showed an interest in this post and shortly after received a phone call from TRADE360 scammers using ANYDESK to interact as there would be more way a person could navigate alone through the maze of trading in crypto especially a newbie like me. They knew I was a newbie and they mercilessly, with manners politeness and huge amounts of false promises took all my money to invest for six weeks. They told me I would make a lot of money just like Kochie did, and they told me I could WITHDRAW my money or part of it ANYTIME. That wasn’t the case and instead they asked me for more money TO RELEASE MY FUNDS which I have given only NOW TO BE TOLD I have to come up with MORE MONEY.
The whole amount I have given is VERY SUBSTANTIAL.
Please contact me regarding your class action to discuss my case and amounts in more detail if you could please.
Watch Jim Browning, Perogi, or any Scam Baiters to get an idea of what you are up against. Your “scam” follows the same format as most those in any of these podcasts. You will not get your money back. Your best bet is to report them to the proper authorities recommended by these scam baiters. Isn’t it something that FB can censure a comment based on one (1) word but WON’T monitor phony advertisers that cheat viewers out of millions of dollars.
I was scammed by a Facebook ad , selling mobility scooter for$47.98 saying they was from a Walmart advertising add.What I thought well it has to be legit this was in November of 2022.Im still waiting on my scooter or money.Smh I feel Meta knows and is very much aware of these scam ads it’s almost like they are encouraging this practice because they are getting pay and can care less about the users.Facebook actually warns the users for little stupid stuff and will lock your account for 30 days and less just for a post but they allow those Chins base companies to scam the users.Make it make sense.
I’m trying to find someone to help me get this fake rip off add posters on FB that have ripped me off for hundreds of dollars the adds are so believable and proffisnal including that it’s affiliations with big bargain stores such as Walmart ,home Depot Amazon so I believed that these items I bought were good to go I bought all 4 items back to back and all were rip off scames after I payed there’s no e mail no tracking nothing then I notice a little name on top of add like moledo company unlimited from the united kingdom or opllog.com from another then I try to turn them in and try to get a refund from them no phone number no information nothing can’t get hold of face book it b shit face book allowed these scammers to do there dirty work on there platform and Facebook wants you to purchase thru there check out to get buyers protection please everything that’s sold on Facebook should be on there buyers protection this means they let and promote scamers to do business and rip off people just trying to get a good deal on things they all are guilty Facebook for letting this crap happen and the phucking rip offs that rips people off everyday we need honest web sites that people can trust I can’t trust Facebook marketplace for nothing I never have been rip off from craigslist ever like I have from marketplace thanks for your help and I hope the get what’s coming to all involved
Before buying anything that sounds like it’s too good to be true, participating in a survey or “give away,” Google it with a “scam” tag.
Good advice, but unfortunately it doesn’t always work. Just a little while ago I saw an obvious scam ad for a “Japan TOTO” tankless shower water heater on Facebook (surprise, surprise), for a little less than $100. My Google search came up with nothing about any kind of shower water heater from TOTO at all, let alone after adding “scam” as a search parameter (and I tried several variations of that search).
So this was likely a new ad that will disappear soon.
And it was painful to see how many people were expressing interest in it, apparently thinking it was legitimate.
someone needs to make facebook regulate their ads. I thought i was buying something from Wayfair today but it was a fake website
Always go to the advertisers original website. NEVER purchase anything off an ad through the search engine ad site. I receive over a dozen offers via email and started making a list that is available to anyone interested.
Got scammed on an ad on Facebook that was selling an entire set of Dewalt cordless power tools that were marked discounted to clear warehouse space for $88, said 30 day money back guarantee and what I received instead if the tools was a small case of small screwdrivers. When I tried to get a hold if the site for the refund the site no longer existed. Lesson to be learned here is DONT BUY ANYTHING FROM FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE OR FROM ANY OF THE ADS THEY POST. 9 times out of ten it’s a scam and you will not get your money back, if you do, your very lucky and you have to go through a lot of b.s. just to get your refund.
Earlier today, when I tried to flag a scammer, Facebook restricted my account saying that my activity didn’t follow Community Standards, whatever this means. I guess flagging scammers is not what Facebook is interested in. Restricted for a few hours for starters. I wouldn’t be surprised to be booted from FB in the future for flagging scammers. It’s sad because some Facebook members actually fall for the scammers’ posts, taking them for granted.
Never make an accusation on FB. Ask it as a question, e.g.: Is this a scam by walmart? I copy the ad then post a picture and follow up with an alert off of a google search.
09/25/2022 I just went through a fraud with Facebook. I ordered the nice outfits on this website that was on Facebook. I gave all my debit card info. But, thank God that my bank caught it and told me it was a fraud. Please add me.
I was scammed by Facebook and they got in my phone and accessed my dad’s bank account and attempted to remove all his money and send it to a cash app. They locked me out of my own phone.
Yeah, run the Bastards out of business they have block me from Marketplace and I ask them tell me what I done wrong, and they won’t even do that so I’m beginning to think that it is ran by a bunch of chicken shit Geeks that have no balls so Yeah, I hope someone makes them go broke if they cannot tell you what’s wrong then they don’t need the internet business!
This is just as bad!! All the ads and shit and still nothing being done!! Protecting the “tech giants” instead of us innocent mothers and victims of harassment and targeted scams! I lost $20,000 And hundreds of hours and my ability toto trust anyone! I hope you are proud!!😭😭💔
Desde Amazon me reomendaron una empresa en Facebook que supuestamente ayudaba a vendedores y la página de facebook tenía más de 2 años en esta activifad, los supuestos clientes me recomendaron el servicio por mesinger, ellos tienen un número de whatsapp desde el cual le picas y hablas con ellos, me estafaron 25 mil dólares y no sé que hacer, estoy viviendo una pesadilla donde lo he perdido todo por culpa de esta página en facebook, le reporté la estafa a facebook, les escribí y no han bloqueado la página, no han hecho nada, el sitio sigue como si nada hubiera pasado y facebook no me responde qué hago?.