The rise of deepfake political scam ads is creating a dangerous new frontier in online fraud. According to the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), scammers have become some of the top political ad spenders on Meta’s platforms, leveraging advanced artificial intelligence to deceive users with manipulated videos of well-known political figures, including former President Donald Trump. These ads, often disguised as legitimate political messaging, have been used to promote fake government benefits such as stimulus checks, spending cards, and health care payments.
TTP revealed that 63 scam advertisers collectively spent $49 million on Facebook and Instagram, successfully targeting vulnerable audiences, particularly seniors, with promises of non-existent financial aid. These campaigns reached tens of thousands of users, exploiting both confusion over government programs and weaknesses in Meta’s content moderation systems. Despite Meta’s rules requiring strict verification for U.S. political advertisers—including submission of official IDs and mailing addresses—scammers found ways to bypass these safeguards, further exposing gaps in the company’s security infrastructure.
Meta, in response, stated that it prohibits deceptive political ads and continues to invest heavily in new technical defenses to detect and block scams. However, watchdogs argue that these measures are far from sufficient. TTP’s report found that all 63 advertisers had their ads removed over the past year, yet nearly half were still active as of this week. Alarmingly, six accounts spent over $1 million each before Meta intervened to disable or delete them. This lag in enforcement suggests scammers can still exploit loopholes long enough to siphon millions from unsuspecting users.
One notable case cited by TTP involved an advertiser called the Relief Eligibility Center, which used a deepfake video of Trump falsely announcing $5,000 stimulus checks. The video, edited to misalign with Trump’s actual public remarks, was targeted at older adults across more than 20 states. Similar fraudulent campaigns have used manipulated videos of Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders, and other political figures, leveraging their public trust to lend credibility to fake financial offers.
The rapid escalation of deepfake scams highlights a broader crisis in digital trust. AI-driven fraud has expanded far beyond satire or entertainment into large-scale financial deception. In August, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a staggering four-fold increase since 2020 in complaints from older adults who lost $10,000 or more to impersonation scams. In many cases, victims were misled into believing they were interacting with trusted government agencies or financial institutions.
Conclusion: The proliferation of deepfake scam ads on Meta platforms underscores the urgent need for stronger safeguards in online political advertising. While Meta claims to be improving its defenses, watchdog findings reveal that scammers are consistently staying one step ahead. Without more proactive regulation, improved AI detection tools, and heightened digital literacy among users, the intersection of politics, fraud, and artificial intelligence will continue to erode public trust in both technology and democracy.
