Deepfake utilization in gambling deceit: Meta's countermeasures against such frauds in India and Brazil
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Meta combats sketchy investment and gambling scams, mainly targeting users in India and Brazil, by employing a versatile strategy, including detection, elimination, user education, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies. In a staggering move, Meta yanked over 23,000 Facebook profiles and groups this March, nipping these illicit activities in the bud. Scammers shrewdly leveraged deepfake technology and impersonated popular personal finance influencers, business moguls, and even cricket stars to shill bogus investment apps and gambling platforms.
Shedding light on this devious strategy, Meta explained that these scoundrels plied deepfake videos featuring prestigious personalities as shills for their questionable ventures. Deceived victims were then funneled to messenger apps for fraudulent investment advice, in some instances finding themselves on counterfeit versions of the Google Play Store that dished out phony gambling apps.
In a broader context, these fraudulent activities align with an ominous pattern of online investment and payment scams, crafted to exploit people's financial anxieties.
"In essence, investment scams lure people into investing in non-existent or bogus opportunities that promise quick, easy returns with minimal risk. Such opportunities often involve shares of companies, digital currencies, real estate, or precious metals and coins," Meta stated.
Swindlers frequently approach potential victims through social media, text messages, emails, or phone calls, offering "exclusive" deals or cordial invitations to "financial coaching" groups. Payment scams, on the other hand, slyly exploit the speed and anonymity of instant payment services. These schemes include advance fee scams and overpayment scams.
To help believers navigate this treacherous landscape, Meta offered three crucial pieces of advice:
1) Seek advice from a certified and licensed financial advisor - In the United States, users can verify licenses by accessing FINRA BrokerCheck or the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure.
2) Recognize classic investment red flags - Promises of guaranteed returns, quick returns, or no risk are tell-tale signs of investment scams. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
3) Transfer funds only to known and trustworthy individuals - When utilizing instant payment apps, investigate if the app in question offers purchase protection. If it doesn't, the likelihood of retrieving funds sent in error is slim.
In addition to these measures, Meta has rolled out in-app safety tools on Messenger to thwart such scams. Users may encounter alerts if detect by the app that suspicious activities are afoot or if they're solicited to pay before receiving goods or services.
To fight identity theft and celebrity impersonation scams, Meta debuted facial recognition-based selfie verification to help people regain access to their accounts quicker (optional, of course).
Meta stressed that scammers continually evolve and often operate across various platforms. In response, Meta is working closely with Indian officials and nongovernmental organizations to tackle these threats. This collaboration includes partnerships with government departments, such as the Department of Telecommunications and the Department of Consumer Affairs under the 'Jago Grahak Jago' (wake up consumer) campaign, and providing training sessions for the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C).
Globally, Meta's teams have disrupted over seven million accounts tied to scam operations run in countries like Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE, and the Philippines since early 2024. Looking to empower users, Meta encourages frequent privacy checks across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, allowing people to control who can reach them and view personal information like profile photos or online status.
To combat scams even further, Meta launched the Llama Defenders Program, offering developers and partners access to AI solutions for detecting and preventing scams and phishing attempts.
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Facebook parent company Meta has taken down over 23,000 Facebook pages and accounts as part of its fight against investment and gambling scams targeting users in India and Brazil.
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Meta has purged close to 12,000 Facebook pages and accounts in India and banished 15,000 in Bangladesh, marking another step in its anti-scam campaign.
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Meta aims to curb scams globally by removing affected accounts based in countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE, and the Philippines.
- In an effort to combat financial scams, Meta has employed a strategy that includes detection, elimination, user education, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies, as seen in the removal of over 23,000 Facebook profiles and groups this March.
- As part of their campaigns against cybersecurity threats, Meta has also been addressing issues related to identity theft and celebrity impersonation scams, introducing facial recognition-based selfie verification to protect user accounts from unauthorized access.
- Recognizing the need for public awareness, Meta emphasizes the importance of seeking advice from certified financial advisors, understanding classic investment red flags, and being cautious when transferring funds to unfamiliar parties in the realm of general-news and crime-and-justice.
