Meta is making billions of dollars from scam ads on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, report says

In Creteil, France, on September 22, 2025, the Meta logo appears on a smartphone with an abstract, predominantly blue visual in the background. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Meta is making billions of dollars every year from ads marketing scams and illegal products on its platform, according to a new report from Reuters. The report details the staggering numbers behind scam ads on Meta's platform, and raises fresh questions about why the company has failed to get the problem in check.

Last year, Meta estimated that scam ads could account for as much as 10 percent of its revenue, a total that would amount to about $16 ...