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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
MetaPay*ermi peace
MetaPay*norma Valencia
METAPAY *yacub Mohamed
Metapay*Kevin Kukstein
54 unauthorized transactions on my paypal debit card that was connected to my savings acct to top up. I told facebooki washacked in Feb and March ads made on my account says i owe 3600 in ads and it’s been since feb. Terrorists posts and groups disabled and restricted on my account and they won’t even do anything about it.. now paypal won’t refund the 44 transactions from June 9 10 and 11th and they’re not even in my transactions… I don’t even know what platform or what was being purchased.. I’m guessing the names are sellers but 54 transactions and when they were done they were all done draining all my accounts. No protection no idea still how I can even find out anything when it’s not anywhere to be found but paypal transactions
Dude I have been scammed for all kinds of shit from weight losses tools to facial products to a cat and growing plants all. They got me for like 1000
Scammers are increasingly finding ways to operate without having to pay for advertising. I have documented literally thousands of so-called “Fan pages” on Facebook that are running scam free “give-aways” of popular consumer brands as a means of obtaining users’ personal data. They inform users that a “condition of entry” is that they must copy their post to between 5 and 10 group pages, thereby leveraging users’ social connections to extend their reach. I have amassed a wealth of compelling evidence of the scammers’ misrepresentations and lies. These pages have been reported to Facebook time and time again by me and many other users. However, Facebook’s standard response is that they “don’t contravene community standards”. Facebook’s lax policies and procedures also make it very difficult to report these fan pages and frequently block users who report pages or post fact checks on the scammers’ sites. Facebook’s position is very difficult to understand given that they derive no advertising revenue from these fan scam pages!
Yes my mom and my wife were scammed by an individual that had an account on Facebook and used the cash app to do so and even after i myself repeatedly warned Facebook that the cash app was the easiest application for hackers to hack into because of their relaxed security and privacy measures much like Facebook putting profits before their users my warning fell on deaf ears and i was ignored and that’s the reason that i signed up for the news letter and would also like more information about the lawsuit because i do believe that it’s high time that Facebook be held accountable for their actions thank you.
Got scammed by someone selling Heydude shoes, I ordered 4 pairs of the shoes and paid for them. Received a tracking number from a shipper in china and so I kept watching the tracking number and finally after about 3 weeks it said that my packages were delivered but nothing was at my house. When I contacted the shipper about the packages they told me I had to contact the place I ordered them from. Well I still haven’t heard anything from them yet.
Facebook fake ads should be well monitored and dissected before revealing them to the public . I’ve definitely learned my lesson and never again will trust ANY ads on Facebook. They only care about their revenue and the almighty dollar, not regular people scraping by to survive. Greed greed greed greed greed greed greed greed… that’s all I can say! I’m Infuriated, disgusted and feel so used.
These sites are ask for credit card info you fill in all the necessary credit card information needed for payment, then press complete transaction. then it tells you payment couldn’t be completed use another form of card. Now they have your credit card info. If you try again with another card same thing happens now they have two of your card info. HELP
I ordered a children’s ride on toy off an add from Facebook for my son for Christmas, they kept my money and my son never got his gift. I felt so stupid that I even thought it was legit.
Add me please. Go after them they ruining lives.
I ordered a specific item and my invoice shows what I purchased but the seller did a bait and switch and sent me a mystery box. I demanded my money back but they say they are sorry I’m not satisfied with the small pallet of a mystery box. My invoice show I purchased a specific item not a pallet or mystery box they won’t refund my money. What can I do?