Consumer investigator Brian Roche warns that changes to social media adverts after approval threaten user safety, with scammers exploiting platform vulnerabilities through AI manipulation and account hacks. Experts advise consumers to verify before purchasing to avoid financial loss.
Consumer investigator Brian Roche is warning that social media adverts can be changed after they have been approved, leaving users exposed to scams that look legitimate at first glance. He said the problem is not limited to obscure corners of the internet: major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn and Pinterest all use a mix of automated systems and human review to screen adverts, but determined fraudsters can still find ways to tamper with them later.
Roche said scammers can exploit the trust users place in familiar brands and polished-looking promotions. “Anyone can pay to place ads in your social media feed , including scammers impersonating real brands or selling knock-off products,” Roche said. That can make a fraudulent offer appear routine, especially when the advert is targeted to people based on their browsing history, shopping behaviour or other online activity.
The concern has become more acute as platforms increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to speed up ad creation and moderation. Recent reporting by GameSpot described a case in which an indie game publisher alleged that TikTok used generative AI to alter its adverts without permission, including by introducing a racist stereotype. Separately, TechCrunch reported that hacked verified Facebook pages posing as Meta were able to buy ads and distribute suspicious links, underlining how compromised accounts can slip through platform controls.
Other investigations have shown similar weaknesses. CBS News reported that Meta’s platforms ran hundreds of “nudify” deepfake adverts promoting tools used to create sexually explicit fake images before those ads were removed. Maldita.es also reported that dozens of fraudulent advertisers placed at least 18,000 ads on TikTok and Instagram, with more than 1.2 million ads linked to those operators over time, suggesting that some repeat offenders continue to find ways back onto the platforms.
Roche’s advice to consumers is simple: pause before buying anything or entering card details. He recommends searching for the company name together with terms such as “scam” or “complaint” before clicking through to a purchase page. In a landscape where an advert can be polished, personalised and then quietly altered, that extra step may be one of the easiest ways to avoid losing money.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
