New Delhi : From fake investment schemes to shopping discounts, scammers are using social media advertisements to exploit trust, create urgency, and lure users into costly traps. In this edition of The Safe Side, we walk you through scams through social media ads and how to stay away from these.
What began as a simple online advertisement promising lucrative stock market returns ended in financial devastation for a 49-year-old Mumbai-based IT professional, who lost a staggering Rs 1.16 crore to a sophisticated cyber fraud network. This incident happened in 2024, suggesting that this scam is not new.
In a more recent example of how social media advertisements are being used as gateways for fraud, a Mumbai-based nurse lost nearly Rs 1 lakh after clicking on what appeared to be a simple Facebook deal for a dress for Rs 299. What began as an ordinary online shopping purchase quickly spiralled into a carefully staged scam involving repeated payment demands, fake delivery charges, and false promises of refunds.
The woman, employed at a private hospital in Mumbai, came across a Facebook advertisement in April this year that promised stylish dresses at an unbelievable discount—just Rs 299 per piece. Like countless social media users drawn to flashy deals, she clicked. That single click opened the door to a fraud network designed not just to sell a fake product, but to systematically drain her money.
Initially, the transaction appeared routine. She selected a dress and made the payment. But soon after, the scam shifted gears.
The fraudsters, operating through a WhatsApp number and posing as sellers, began demanding additional payments under various seemingly legitimate pretexts: shipping charges, GPS fees, tracking costs, address confirmation, and verification charges. Each payment came with reassurance “the extra money would be refunded and the order would soon arrive”.
What made the scam effective was its psychological design. Rather than demanding a huge amount upfront, the fraudsters extracted money gradually, making each new charge seem like a small step toward completing an already-started purchase. This tactic might have kept the victim emotionally and financially invested. She was convinced that backing out midway might mean losing the money she had already paid.
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Over five days, what started as a Rs 299 online purchase ballooned into losses of nearly Rs 1 lakh. The promised dress never arrived. Neither did the refunds. By the time the nurse realised she had been duped, the scammers had vanished.
The police later said the fraud involved three familiar tools of modern cybercrime: a Facebook advertisement to lure the victim, WhatsApp communication to build trust, and a fake delivery agent narrative to justify repeated payments. The nurse eventually contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930), and the Deonar police in Mumbai registered a case.
The case highlights how social media scams rely on trust, urgency, and manipulation rather than technical hacking alone. A low-cost product, a professional-looking ad, and repeated assurances can be enough to lower defences.
The modus operandi, Grover said, is consistent and calculated. It begins with a simple ad or friend request and moves to WhatsApp or Telegram, and then systematically weaponises human psychology through fabricated familiarity, artificial small gains, and fear.
“Whether it is impersonating someone you know, threatening account suspension, or the alarming rise of ‘digital arrests’ where fraudsters pose as law enforcement, the endgame is always the same: financial extraction, followed by a clean disappearance,” Grover added.
Cyber security expert Anurag Mathur said, “Social media ad scams rely on three key tactics: trust, urgency, and manipulation. Made to look genuine and blend into everyday feeds, these scams are designed to lure users into clicking, sharing personal details, or making payments before they realise the danger.”
“It often starts with an attractive advertisement,” Mathur added. Fake investment schemes promising guaranteed returns, health or fitness products claiming quick results, or massive discounts on branded clothes, jewellery, or gadgets, are a few examples of the same.
“Once clicked, users are redirected into a fake funnel, such as counterfeit shopping websites, forms asking for personal information, or WhatsApp and Telegram chats where scammers pose as sellers or advisors,” he explained.
The final step is psychological pressure. Fraudsters create urgency through messages like “Only three items left” or “Limited-time offer” to rush victims into making payments, clicking malicious links, or sharing OTPs.
How to protect from such scams:
- Be cautious of “too good to be true” offers: Huge discounts, miracle cures, or guaranteed profits are often major red flags.
- Verify the source: Instead of clicking directly on ads, visit official websites independently. Check whether the brand has verified accounts, authentic branding, and reliable contact details.
- Inspect websites carefully: Always check the URL for spelling errors or suspicious domain names, ensure the website uses HTTPS security, and search for reviews from external sources.
- Avoid upfront payments for jobs: Legitimate employers do not ask candidates to pay fees for interviews, registration, or hiring.
- Never share sensitive information: Do not share OTPs, bank details, passwords, or card information through ads, chat apps, or unknown websites.
- Use secure payment methods: Choose trusted payment platforms that offer buyer protection rather than direct transfers.
- Report suspicious ads: Most social media platforms have reporting tools. Reporting scam advertisements can help protect others from falling victim.
Social media users suggest that these fraudulent ads appeared on Meta’s Facebook. Meta, last year alone, removed over 159 million scam ads, 92 per cent of which were taken down before anyone reported them. Meta uses a multi-layered approach: automated technical defences, disrupting criminal scam networks, working with industry partners, and law enforcement, and raising awareness.
Meta has strengthened its fight against social media scams by deploying advanced AI-powered safety tools designed to detect fraud patterns that traditional review systems often miss. According to the company, early testing has shown promising results, including identifying and blocking around 5,000 scam attempts per day that previously went undetected, particularly scams aimed at stealing user login credentials.
At Meta, systems can spot fake websites and scam ads by detecting suspicious URLs, stolen branding, and unrealistic discounts, such as counterfeit sites posing as legitimate retailers.
Grover added, “These are not isolated incidents. They are organised, scalable, and growing faster than awareness. The solution cannot rest with one company, one platform, or one government agency. This requires a collective response from industry, regulators, and technology working in concert. AI-ML is our strongest shared weapon. Through real-time behavioural monitoring and automated data harvesters operating across Google, Facebook, Telegram and beyond, we can detect and disrupt fraud networks before they reach the next victim.
What to do if you fall prey to such scams?
- Immediately contact your bank and inform them about the scam
- File a complaint at https://cybercrime.gov.in/ or 1930
- Register a complaint at the nearest police station
In the fast-moving world of digital advertising, a single click can sometimes lead to major financial loss. Awareness, verification, and caution remain the strongest defences against social media ad scams.
The Safe Side
As the world evolves, the digital landscape does too, bringing new opportunities—and new risks. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our special feature series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and provide practical tips to help you stay informed, secure, and vigilant online.
