Call now: (703) 854-9288

Keeping You Safe From Celebrity Scams

by Samakow Law

Dear Reader,

You may have seen these fake celebrity scams—ads or posts using pictures or videos of famous people to get people to click. These ads usually lead to shady websites trying to steal your personal information or ask for money.

Meta is planning to use facial recognition technology to crack down on this. This way if someone posts an ad using a celebrity photo, Meta will compare the image in the ad to pictures of the celebrity from their official Facebook or Instagram accounts. If it finds a match and confirms the ad is a scam, they’ll block it. This is a smart move, especially considering how many people are fooled by these ads, believing they’re legitimate because they feature a familiar face.

Now, Meta hasn’t shared exactly how common these scams are, but with 3.3 billion daily active users across all their apps, you can imagine how many people could potentially fall victim. While Meta already uses artificial intelligence to manage the flood of reports about spam and harmful content, this facial recognition tech adds another layer of protection, particularly for users more vulnerable to scams.

Meta has a complicated history with facial recognition, having faced lawsuits in the past over privacy issues. They were sued in Texas earlier this year and paid $1.4 billion for using facial recognition without proper consent. A few years ago, they also paid $650 million to settle a lawsuit in Illinois. So, this time, Meta is being very careful. They’re not running the video selfie test in Texas or Illinois because of those past legal issues. They’re also saying they’ll delete any facial data immediately after comparison, whether it matches or not.

While this new tech is a step towards stopping scams, it’s important not to rely on Meta alone to keep you safe online. Here are a few tips to help you make smart decisions:

  1. Be skeptical of celebrity endorsements – If an ad or post looks too good to be true, it probably is. Even if it features a familiar face, always double-check the source before clicking or sharing any personal information.
  2. Look out for red flags – Poor grammar, a sense of urgency, and offers that seem overly generous are all signs of a potential scam. Trust your gut and avoid engaging with anything that feels off.
  3. Use multi-factor authentication – Always enable two-factor authentication on your social media accounts. It adds an extra layer of security to protect your information from being stolen.
  4. Limit personal info – The less personal information you share online, the less likely it is for scammers to use it against you.

My goal is to help keep you safe, and that includes keeping you safe from scams. While Meta’s facial recognition might help stop some scams, the best protection comes from staying informed and cautious. And remember, if you ever need help with a personal injury case, give me a call. I’m here to help in every way I can.

Until next time, please be safe and never text while driving.

Paul Samakow

Attorney Paul Samakow
703-761-4343 | 301-949-1515

 

WordPress Video Lightbox Plugin
Ryan Wind
Paul and I worked on a burn case together. I was impressed with his knowledge in that area and the effort he put into the case. If you were a burn victim he is your attorney!
Lamar Ludy
Great interactions, professional, seamless. The availability of both attorneys was phenomenal with questions with any concerns and transparency overall great experience.
Josselyn Contreras
Excelente servicio!
Medmoud Lehbib
Carlos Martinez
Kyra Carter
My mom recommended that I contact The Law Offices of Paul A. Samakow after an accident I was in, she'd hired them decades ago for an accident. They invited me into the office where I met my case manager, Justin, and Paul himself. They collected my information and asked me if I was okay and told me to focus on my recovery. They helped me find a treatment facility that was near my home and could provide transportation since my car was totaled and I didn't have rental coverage on my policy. Near the end of my treatment I worked with a paralegal, Vania, and ultimately Rocco handled my case. I was able to speak with Rocco a few times over the phone where he answered my questions. The provided me with a packet of what to expect at each stage of the process, 2 copies of a helpful book that I read over. a few times which helped minimize the amount of times I needed to reach out with questions. All in all my experience was very good, I did my best to trust the process since it was my first experience needing a lawyer and treatment from a car accident. While I hope I never EVER need their services again, I feel comfortable knowing that they're there if needed and will help me get the care I need and manage expectations for personal injury claims. I would recommend them and Paul's book to anyone who might need this type of service!
Elvis Trejo
Muchas gracias Tatiana por tu ayuda estoy muy agradecido por toda tu ayuda mil mil gracias
Fernando Perez
Recibi ua atención profesional, durante el proeceso tuvieron una excelente communication.. Gracias
Dwight Martinez
Tatiana was the best! She made everything super easy and clear to understand! She gave me the peace of mind to just focus on recovering from my injuries
Diane Barahona-Guerrero
I had the pleasure of being represented by the Law Offices of Paul Samakow. I give him and his team 5 stars. Starting with Pablo, with whom we had the consultation, Jose C., Daniel O., Beatriz O., Sofia, and Eva are some of the people who handled different aspects of my case. They were all very kind and always kept me informed about my case. If for some reason I couldn't answer the call, they always left me a voicemail with details of what they needed from me. When I called them back, I never had any problems getting back to them. Paul Samkow will always be 100% recommended by my family. Near the end of my case, Attorney Paul Samakow himself contacted me directly. He was very honest, direct, and with his experience gave me the best advice. He effectively obtained the highest possible compensation for me and my two children in the car accident we were involved in.