A recent investigation by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP) has revealed that scammers are leveraging advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create deepfake videos of prominent figures, including former President Donald Trump, to deceive users on Meta’s platforms. These fraudulent advertisers have collectively spent $49 million on Facebook and Instagram, targeting vulnerable demographics, particularly seniors, with ads promoting fake government benefits such as stimulus checks, healthcare payments, and spending cards. The ads have reached tens of thousands of users, exploiting public confusion about social safety net programs and Meta’s content moderation gaps. Despite Meta’s policies prohibiting scams and its claims of investing in scam prevention, the report highlights that 63 scam advertisers ran over 150,600 political ads in the past year, with nearly half continuing to operate as of Tuesday. Meta has disabled 35 ad accounts, but only after they had run hundreds of ads, with six accounts spending over $1 million before being shut down. One notable example involved a deepfake video of Trump falsely promising stimulus checks, directing users to a fraudulent website. The report underscores the growing sophistication of online fraud and the challenges platforms face in combating it. Surveys indicate a significant rise in internet scams, with older adults increasingly falling victim to impersonation attacks, often losing substantial sums of money.