Keeping You Safe From Celebrity Scams

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