Meta Deletes 159 Million Scam Ads and 11 Million Accounts, 63 Arrested

Meta continues its efforts to eradicate fraud within its platforms, including by removing advertisements and accounts linked to such crimes.

More than 159 million scam advertisements were removed by Meta throughout last year, along with 11 million related accounts that were taken down.

“Last year, we removed more than 159 million scam advertisements. We removed nearly 11 million accounts that may be linked to criminal fraud networks,” said Meta Vice President for Asia Pacific, Ben Joe, as quoted by Detikcom on Friday (14/8/2026).

He added that similar efforts are continuing this year, including cooperation with various parties such as the police and government agencies.

“This year, we are undertaking further efforts by working together with Microsoft, Coinbase, the US Department of Justice, the police, as well as various government agencies and authorities in many regions,” he said.

Meta has also removed more than one million accounts, pages and groups related to fraud. A total of 63 individuals from fraud syndicates have been arrested and detained.

These efforts are carried out even before users file reports. Meta has proactively removed 92% of the scam advertisements in advance.

In addition, Meta is targeting 90% of global advertising revenue to come from verified business entities by the end of 2026.

Education is also continuously provided to users. Among other measures, Meta is running a cyber security campaign reaching up to 300 million users.

The campaign is conducted to remind users of the importance of using passkeys and two-factor authentication.

“So essentially, we want to educate the public to lock their digital front doors before someone gets in,” Joe explained.