Rhode Island is the first state to sue Meta over scam ads on Facebook and Instagram, a reminder that fake deals in your feed can look real.
Rhode Island has sued Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, over how it handles scam ads. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha filed the suit. His office says Rhode Island is the first state to take this kind of action.
The suit says Meta does not do enough to stop fraudulent ads on its platforms. It also claims Meta has not acted more strongly because those scams bring in money. Neronha said, "As alleged, Meta knowingly exposed vulnerable users to fraud and scams, and made enormous profits in doing so."
Meta disagrees. Spokesperson Andy Stone said the company has removed more than 159 million scam ads. He said the attorney general refused to engage with Meta and hired an out-of-state private law firm to build a lawsuit that ignores the full range of actions Meta takes.
This is not the first suit on the subject. The Consumer Federation of America filed one in April, and Santa Clara County in California filed one in May. A 2025 Reuters report found scam ads could be providing billions of dollars for Meta, possibly up to 10 percent of its revenue. Meta has shut down some bad actors, sued other ad creators and added protections for suspicious messages earlier this year.
The material does not say what Rhode Island wants the court to order or when the case will be heard. The claims are allegations, not findings. For everyday users, the lesson is simple: scam ads can look real, so treat unfamiliar deals in your feed with caution.
Treat unfamiliar deals in your Facebook and Instagram feeds with caution, because scam ads can look real.
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