I was scrolling through my feed this morning, sipping my coffee, when I saw it.
It was a video of Elon Musk. He was standing on a stage, looking me dead in the eye, promising that if I invested $200 in his new “Quantum AI Trading Bot,” I would be a millionaire by next Tuesday.
The lip-sync was a little off. The voice sounded slightly metallic. It was a Deepfake. A complete scam. And yet, right below the video, it said “Sponsored.”
That means Facebook one of the richest tech companies on Earth accepted money from a criminal to show me a video designed to steal my bank details.
It drives me crazy. It feels like for every real post from a friend, I have to dodge three ads for “Going Out of Business” sales or “Mystery Boxes” that are definitely just filled with sawdust.
If you are tired of this garbage cluttering up your feed, or if you are worried your parents might actually click on that “90% off Le Creuset Pot” link, you need to know how to fight back.
Here is the no-nonsense guide to spotting these scams, reporting them (even if it feels useless), and protecting your wallet.
The “Red Flags”: How to Spot a Fake in 3 Seconds
Before you even think about clicking “Shop Now,” you need to do a 3-second audit. Scammers are lazy. They make mistakes. If you know where to look, the cracks appear instantly.
1. The “Page Transparency” Test (The Silver Bullet) This is the Sherlock Holmes trick. Every Facebook page has a public history. Scammers hate this feature, but they can’t turn it off.
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How to check: Go to the Page that posted the ad. Click “About” > “Page Transparency.”
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What to look for:
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Creation Date: If the page is named “Luxury Handbags Official” but it was created yesterday, run away. Real brands have pages that are years old.
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Name Changes: Did the page change its name from “Funny Cat Memes” to “Rolex Watches” last week? That’s a hacked page. It’s a scam.
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Manager Location: If the brand claims to be a “Made in USA” patriot shop, but the Page Managers are located in a random country halfway across the world… you are being lied to.
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2. The “Unbelievable Price” Rule I know, we all want a deal. Inflation is rough. But listen to me: Nobody is selling a PlayStation 5 for $89. Nobody is selling a specialized Dyson vacuum for $39 because of a “warehouse fire.”
If the price makes you stop and say, “Wow, that is insane,” it is insane. It’s fake. They rely on your greed overriding your logic. Don’t let them win.
3. The “Weird URL” Check Look at the link before you click. Does it go to Walmart.com? Or does it go to Walmart-Clearance-Store-22.xyz? Scammers buy cheap, disposable domains. If the website address looks like someone smashed their face on a keyboard, do not give them your credit card info.
How to Report the Ad (And Why You Should Bother)
I hear you saying: “Rahul, I reported an ad last week and Facebook said it didn’t violate their standards. Why bother?”
I know. It is infuriating. Sometimes the AI review bot gets it wrong. But reporting is a numbers game. If only you report it, nothing happens. If 500 of us report it, the algorithm panics and takes it down.
The Correct Way to Report:
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Don’t just scroll past. Stop.
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Click the three dots (…) in the top right corner of the ad.
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Select Report ad.
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Crucial Step: Do not just click “Spam.”
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If it’s a fake product, choose “Misleading or Scam.”
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Then select “Unacceptable Business Practices” or “Scam.”
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This sends a specific signal to the Trust & Safety team (or their robots) that money is being stolen, which is a higher priority than just “Spam.”
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The “Nuclear Option”: Hide All Ads from This Advertiser After you report it, Facebook will ask: “What else do you want to do?” Click “Hide all ads from this advertiser.” This wipes their entire campaign from your feed. You will never see their fake “clearance sale” again. It is incredibly satisfying.
The “Ad Library” Snooping Trick
This is a pro tip that most people don’t know about. Facebook has a public database called the Ad Library. You can see every single ad a page is running.
If you suspect a page is sketchy, Google “Facebook Ad Library” and type in the page name.
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What you see: Are they running 500 different ads using 500 different videos?
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The Scam Pattern: Scammers often run the exact same video but with different logos/products to see what sticks. If you see a chaotic mess of ads that don’t match the brand’s identity, it’s a “churn and burn” scam operation.
“Help, I Clicked It!” (Damage Control)
Okay, let’s say you slipped up. You saw the $29 Ray-Bans. You clicked. You entered your credit card number. And now you realize wait, Ray-Bans cost $150.
Do NOT wait for the package. There is no package. Or if there is, it’s going to be a cheap pair of plastic glasses from a dollar store (this is called the “brushing” scam, so they can show a tracking number to PayPal).
Do this immediately:
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Call your Bank: Do not email the seller. They won’t reply. Call your bank or credit card company immediately. Tell them: “I just purchased something from a fraudulent website. I need to cancel the transaction and reissue my card.”
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Cancel the Card: You gave the scammers your card number, expiration, and CVV. Even if they don’t charge you $500 today, they might sell your info on the dark web next month. Kill the card. Get a new one.
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Change Your Passwords: Did you use the same password for that fake shopping account as you use for your email? (Be honest). If yes, change your email password right now.
The Bottom Line
The internet used to be the “Information Superhighway.” Now, it’s basically a digital flea market filled with pickpockets.
Meta is trying to use AI to catch these ads, but the scammers are using AI to generate them. It’s an arms race, and right now, the bad guys are winning.
You have to be your own bodyguard. Trust your gut. If a deal feels too good to be true, it’s because someone is trying to rob you. Keep your wallet closed, hit that Report button, and keep scrolling.
Stay safe out there. (And no, Elon Musk does not want to give you free Bitcoin. I promise).
