Meta has launched a global anti-scam awareness campaign as the holiday shopping season begins worldwide. The campaign aims to protect people from online scams across its platforms, including Facebook Marketplace, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Scammers often use various tactics such as malicious texts, emails, and fake websites to deceive users.
The company has shared safety tools introduced this year and new research into holiday scams disrupted on its apps. Meta emphasizes vigilance against phishing emails and texts, advises against sharing personal information, and warns about online payment scams.
In collaboration with Graphika's researchers, Meta identified common holiday scams. These include fake coupons and gift cards in the US, India, and the UK; false promises of Christmas gift boxes targeting French-, Spanish-, and English-speaking users; and discounted holiday decorations aimed at English-, French-, Italian-, and German-speaking audiences.
To combat these threats, Meta introduced several anti-scam tools. On WhatsApp, users receive context cards when unknown contacts message them. Instagram reminds users of potentially suspicious interactions when questionable accounts request follows. Facebook Marketplace now alerts users to messages that fit known scam patterns.
Meta has taken action against scammers by disrupting phishing domains impersonating its brands globally. Over two million scam-related accounts have been removed from its apps this year alone.
In India, monthly transparency reports are released detailing user complaints received by Meta on WhatsApp and actions taken to combat abuse. The company collaborates with public figures, NGOs, creators, consumer groups, and government entities like the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to raise online safety awareness.
The "Scams se Bacho" campaign features Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana to educate people about online safety practices. Additionally, content creators have been enlisted to promote scam literacy in multiple regional languages.
Meta's efforts align with supporting government initiatives to combat rising scam cases in India. The company plans ongoing updates about its work countering scams across its platforms.
