The rise of internet scams is a troubling trend affecting various online platforms, from dating apps and online gaming to cryptocurrency exchanges and text messaging. Users of these services, advertisers, and platform operators all share a common distaste for these fraudulent activities. The perpetrators, who are often highly sophisticated, continue to develop new strategies to bypass security measures and deceive unsuspecting individuals. Recognizing this challenge, online platforms are constantly evolving their methods to identify and eliminate these scams.
This week, as industry leaders convene at the Global Anti-Scam Summit in Washington, DC, significant efforts to combat scams on digital platforms will be showcased. This summit brings together participants from various sectors, including industry, government, and civil society, to address the growing threat of online scams and highlight the work being done to expose the criminals behind them.
### A Holistic Strategy for Combating Scams
The approach to reducing scams is comprehensive and multi-faceted. It involves deploying automated and technical defenses to protect users, disrupting networks of criminal scammers, collaborating with industry partners and law enforcement agencies, and educating the public on how to identify and prevent scams.
A key component of this strategy is the use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect fraudulent activities. AI advancements are crucial in identifying potential scams and alerting users to suspicious interactions. Furthermore, efforts are being made to enhance advertiser verification processes, particularly in high-risk areas such as financial investments. This verification is essential to ensure that individuals and organizations running ads are authentic and not engaging in deceptive practices.
The introduction of new product features and tools has been instrumental in safeguarding individual accounts and legitimate businesses from scams. Over the past 15 months, there has been a noticeable reduction of over 50% in reports of scam ads. In 2025 alone, more than 134 million scam ads have been removed from various platforms. Additionally, in the first half of the year, nearly 12 million accounts associated with malicious scam centers have been identified and disrupted across popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Facial recognition technology has also been employed to prevent the misuse of celebrity and public figure images, doubling the volume of fraudulent ads detected and removed during testing.
### Collaborations with Industry and Law Enforcement
The proliferation of large-scale criminal enterprises, some of which involve trafficking victims forced into cyber scamming, has significantly contributed to the increase in online scams. In the United States, reported losses from text message scams have increased fivefold between 2020 and 2024. These criminal organizations often operate large compounds with as many as 300,000 cyber scammers, many of whom are victims themselves.
To combat this issue, partnerships with industry peers and law enforcement agencies are vital. Information shared through these collaborations has directly led to the dismantling of scam networks operating on online platforms. Recently, the Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force, in collaboration with the FBI, disrupted a criminal operation associated with the Tai Chang compound in Myanmar. This operation resulted in the removal of 2,000 fraudulent Facebook accounts targeting victims worldwide. In another instance, collaboration with the FBI and Singaporean law enforcement led to the disruption of an illegal gambling network, which tricked victims into transferring money to anonymous accounts.
Legal action is another crucial element in combating scams. Over the years, more than 60 lawsuits have been filed against individuals and groups abusing online platforms through schemes such as brand impersonation, account takeovers, and bulk messaging. Initiatives like the Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) program, which involves over 70 financial institutions globally, help identify and stop scams. The Global Signal Exchange (GSE), a cross-industry platform, facilitates the sharing of intelligence about online scam tactics and emerging threats with industry giants like Microsoft and Google, as well as regulatory bodies.
### Advocating for Supportive Legislation
Addressing the issue of scams requires a collective effort, including legal, industry, and policy measures. Legal actions play a critical role in bringing scammers to justice, but a comprehensive public policy approach is also needed to tackle the global scale of scams. Supporting legislation that fosters a coordinated national response and targets transnational criminal organizations is essential.
Several legislative proposals aim to advance efforts to combat scammers and support victims of fraud. These include the National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025, the Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act, the Taskforce for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams (TRAPS) Act, the Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act, and the STOP Scammers Act. Such legislation is crucial for a unified approach to counter scams and fraud effectively.
Scams not only harm individual victims but also undermine trust in the advertising ecosystem, which is foundational to the business models of online platforms. Ensuring a positive user experience is vital for maintaining trust and engagement with digital services. As efforts to combat scams continue, collaboration with policymakers and industry partners remains crucial in protecting users and preserving the integrity of online platforms.
For more detailed information and updates on the ongoing efforts to combat online scams, interested readers can refer to Meta’s Scam Prevention resources available on their official website.
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