Meta has launched a global anti-scam awareness campaign aimed at protecting users from fraudulent activities during the busy holiday shopping season. The tech giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, revealed that it has removed over two million accounts linked to scam operations in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the UAE, and the Philippines this year.
In addition to this, Meta’s enforcement efforts have led to the removal of 15,000 phishing URLs in Vietnam and 9,000 in Singapore.
Working with cybersecurity firm Graphika, Meta has identified three major scam campaigns targeting holiday shoppers: fake Christmas gift box promotions, bogus holiday decoration sales, and counterfeit retail coupons. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, such as AI-generated voiceovers and fake customer reviews, to deceive victims.
Meta pointed out that scammers are constantly adapting to evade detection and often target multiple platforms at once. This makes it difficult for any single company to spot the full scope of these scams.
To further raise awareness, Meta has teamed up with Rachel Tobac, an expert in internet safety and ethical hacking, to educate users on how to protect themselves from online threats. The company has also expanded its Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) program, which was originally launched in the UK and Australia, to include banks worldwide. This initiative helps share vital information between financial institutions and Meta’s platforms to combat scam activities more effectively.
