October 16, 2025
Deepfake Scam Ads Promoting Fake Benefit Programs for Seniors Explode on Meta Social Media Platforms
A new report from the Tech Transparency Project has revealed a staggering rise in fraudulent advertising on Meta’s platforms, with 63 scam advertisers spending a whopping $49 million on over 150,000 deceptive ads. These ads primarily promote fake stimulus checks, government benefits, and healthcare payments, targeting vulnerable populations, particularly older Americans.
Many of these ads employ sophisticated deepfake technology, utilizing fake videos of prominent political figures and celebrities to lend credibility to their schemes. For instance, one particularly alarming ad from the Relief Eligibility Center aimed at individuals aged 65 and older across more than 20 states. It featured a fabricated video of former President Donald Trump, misleadingly urging seniors to visit a website to claim their “FREE $5,000 check from Trump.”
In the United States, advertisers wishing to run ads featuring political figures on Facebook or Instagram must undergo a rigorous identity verification and authorization process. Despite these safeguards, fraudsters have adeptly circumvented detection, leveraging artificial intelligence and other advanced tools to prolong their deceptive campaigns.
While Meta has taken action against some of these fraudulent accounts, disabling 35 out of the 63 identified, the damage had already been done. Many of these accounts managed to publish dozens, if not hundreds, of ads before being deactivated, reaching tens of thousands of potential victims. Alarmingly, six of these ad accounts alone spent over $1 million before they were finally shut down.
The implications of these scams are profound, particularly for older adults who may be less familiar with digital literacy and more susceptible to such fraudulent schemes. The use of deepfake technology not only complicates the detection of these scams but also raises ethical concerns about the manipulation of public figures’ images and voices for malicious purposes.
As the landscape of digital advertising continues to evolve, the need for robust regulatory measures and enhanced detection technologies becomes increasingly critical. Both Meta and regulatory bodies must work collaboratively to implement stricter controls and ensure that vulnerable populations are protected from these insidious scams.
