Fake Trump and Oprah ads fuel a wave of Medicare scams on Facebook

Meta is under growing legal and public pressure after reports and a California lawsuit accused the company of allowing scam advertisers to repeatedly target older users on Facebook and Instagram with misleading health, financial and celebrity-backed fraud ads. Consumer advocates and researchers say many of the advertisements used fake endorsements from public figures like Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey to promote questionable Medicare services, investment schemes and financial offers aimed at seniors. The lawsuit alleges Meta continued profiting from repeat scam advertisers despite policies banning fraudulent content, raising concerns about how effectively the company monitors its massive advertising network. Meta denied the allegations, saying it aggressively removes scam ads and invests heavily in fraud detection systems, but critics argue the platform’s scale and advertising-driven business model make older users especially vulnerable to sophisticated online scams. The controversy adds to broader debates over whether major technology companies should face stricter regulation and stronger accountability for protecting users from digital fraud as online scams continue rising across the United States.