Google announces steps to ban scam ads

Brendan Burgess said:
I didn't understand this?
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"Meta’s lax approach has helped fuel the professionalization of social-media fraud by international criminal networks in Southeast Asia".

"The report estimated organized scamming operations—often called “pig butchering” groups—comprise hundreds of thousands of people, many trafficked after falling for fraudulent social-media employment ads. Kept in prisonlike compounds, the workers are forced to work under threat of extreme forms of torture and abuse.”
 
The FT have an article on the Irish government proposal today here (paywall) for a legal obligation for platforms to check if a financial advert is from a regulated firm.

"Brussels frets that the amendment would conflict with a provision in the EU’s Digital Services Act that online platforms are not required to conduct broad-based monitoring of content. Yet having to verify whether financial advertisers are authorised does not constitute large-scale monitoring, and would only be required of very large online platforms."

The FT are right. The proposal by the Irish government is not a broad-based monitoring of user generated content, but rather it is to ensure that platforms check advertisers, to ensure they are regulated, to stop scams. Hopefully the Irish government proposal gains traction.
 
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Just had a Google ad on my phone's carousel promote a scam bond investment site. Claiming to be protected by DGS, and with an impressive Trustpilot link that actually relates to an entirely different company.

Google's own AI Overview search results classify it as "a known scam site" :rolleyes:. Have reported it to Google using the mobile report option. Advertiser is unverified, we'll see.

Update: took a screenshot of the mobile ad and the advertiser details (under Google's mobile report option) and then looked up the advertiser profile on my desktop using Google's Ad Transparency tool.

Have now reported the original ad to the Central Bank, plus three similarly named advertiser profiles showing similar ads.
 
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Well done. Google seems to have far less scam deposit and investment adverts these days but the problem is still not fully solved despite Google committing to checking if all financial advertisers are regulated entities.

Meanwhile, X and Meta are flooded in scam financial adverts.
 
Hi Lightning and Mugsgame

Well done lads!

I have just Googled for the best deposit rates in Ireland, high deposit rates, deposit comparison sites

and all the ads are for genuine sites connected to Ireland. I even went down a few pages looking for a scam website and could not find them.

I am sure that they will crop up again from time to time, but it seems that the Central Bank link with Google is working and the ads get taken down quickly.

Brendan
 
www.irishtimes.com

Two Government departments clash over plan to pressure tech giants to tackle social media scams

Department of Enterprise went to bat for Big Tech in online investment scam row with Department of Finance, emails show
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com

The Department of Finance had proposed tech companies be made to vet those who post adverts promoting financial investment schemes on Facebook, Instagram, X, Google, TikTok and other platforms, in an effort to cut off scams defrauding people.

Officials in the Department of Enterprise raised “serious concerns” about a Department of Finance proposal for new rules limiting who can promote financial investment opportunities online, internal emails show.

Enterprise officials warned their finance colleagues the suggested changes would be bad for business and potentially conflict with the Republic’s position as a destination of choice for many Big Tech players in Europe.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Enterprise officials warned their finance colleagues the suggested changes would be bad for business and potentially conflict with the Republic’s position as a destination of choice for many Big Tech players in Europe.
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Shocking attitude by the DoE.
Basically, they are saying its ok for scammers to advertise using Big Tech and Big Tech wont invest in Ireland because we would be hostile to scammers!
 
The latest find on Google ads, not sure if it's a scam or if it's from the future. Scary either way.

Ad is paid for by someone in India.
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Reviewed by TCD and Bank of Ireland

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Mary Walsh is happy with it anyway.
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It'd be funny if this ended up on the indo's site along with the other garbage ads that they have under their articles.
 
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