Out Of 1,000 Facebook Ads, Close to 250 Sell Fake Products [Research]

You must have come across a number of ads on Facebook every now and then, when you scroll down on your home page. Now here is a tip for those who get allured by such ads. A new study has found that some advertisements promoting fashion and luxury items on Facebook may be fake.

Two cyber-security researchers analysed over 1,000 Facebook ads and found that nearly a quarter of those goods are counterfeit items. This was reported by Mashable.

The duo focused on 180 fashion and luxury ads from which 43 of which led to websites selling counterfeit goods.

"You do not know where you are going to end up. In many cases, your credit card is at risk, thanks to obscure payment systems backed by companies you have no idea who they are," researchers Andrea Stroppa and Agostino Specchiarello told Mashable.

The websites often had legitimate looking URLs and even have fake logos of security and payment system companies, researchers found.

According to them, since they started the study, many of such ads have been removed.

Reacting to this, a Facebook spokesperson said: "We prohibit fraudulent or misleading claims or content, and to enforce our terms and policies, we have invested significant resources in developing a robust advertising review programme that includes both automated and manual review of ads".

IANS