Facebook has announced a new tool that allows UK Facebook users to send a detailed report to the social network if they see a sponsored advert promoting a get-rich-quick scam.
Originally promised for May, the tool has finally been released for UK Facebook users in mid-July. The tool arrives after UK “money saving expert” Martin Lewis agreed to drop a lawsuit against Facebook for allowing scam adverts to use his name and face on the condition the social network created the tool and donated money to an anti-scam initiative.
If Facebook users see a scam advert promoting a get-rich-quick investment scheme, they can report the advert by clicking Report and selecting the Misleading or Scam option. From there they will now be given an option to send a detailed report to Facebook (see image below.)
That detailed report asks a number of additional questions, including any web addresses of the adverts or Facebook pages that posted them, whether the advert is making false claims or any names associated with the spam advert.
This report is then sent to a dedicated reporting team who review the advert and will remove it if necessary.
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Facebook has also donated £3 million to the UK’s Citizens Advice Bureau in order to help victims of such scams.
If the reporting tool proves useful, Facebook has said they will consider releasing it to users of other countries.
Remember, not all sponsored adverts on Facebook are legitimate. If you are taken to a website peddling some type of scheme that claims you can get rich quickly – especially if they use the Bitcoin brand to promote themselves – then you’re probably looking at a scam. Such scams often use the identities of well-known public figures to make them appear legitimate. However such figures have nothing to do with the scheme.
More information on these scams can be seen here.