Facebook Has a Health Scam Problem (opens in new tab)

(nytimes.com)

15 pointscainxinth11d ago3 comments

3 comments

Facebook in general has a huge scam problem. I routinely see ads claiming to be from CBC or CNN or Reuters selling lottery software, Bitcoin engines or perpetual motion machines.

Supplements seem to be the most legal out of all the scams regularly run.

masfuerte11d ago

Facebook doesn't have a scam problem. Scams are making them a lot of money.

In a less corrupt world we'd change the law so that scams on Facebook were Facebook's problem.

archerx11d ago

Yet they have no problem flagging legit stuff. Back in 2019 I remember a pair of shorts (part of procedurally generated street ware fashion project) got flagged as offensive for some reason and my campaign got suspended. I reached out to Facebook and actually got a human and they unsuspended my account but the experience also made me stop buying ads from them.

derwiki11d ago

Perpetual motion ones particularly grind my gears. My dad, a retired science teacher who KNOWS better will occasionally send me these. Dad don’t you think that would be legit big news if true?

BenjiWiebe10d ago

Obviously not, because big oil and the government would do away with the inventor and prevent the press from publishing about it.

bwb11d ago

I see ads claiming to be BBC all the time on Reddit with similar.

cbsmith11d ago

I was going to say: "in what way is the problem restricted to health?"

anonymars11d ago

Or Facebook

cbsmith10d ago

Also correct. I see the problem as particularly rampant with the video sites.

Larrikin11d ago

Why do you see ads at all? Is this just an iPhone problem?

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