The Scam Ad Got Optimized
At my kitchen table, the contradiction is simple: platforms sell advertisers tools to find an audience, but when an impersonation scam may use those systems to find a consumer, the person who gets fooled can end up holding the bill. The Federal Trade Commission is now asking what responsibility platforms should have for scam ads. That is a question about the machinery, not a character test for people who got targeted.
The FTC says consumers reported nearly $3.5 billion in losses to impersonation fraud in 2025. It also reports that nearly 30% of consumers who said they lost money to scammers said social media was their first contact. Those figures are based on consumer reports, not a complete count of every scam or victim, but they are plenty to make “just be more careful” sound like a customer-service script written by the people who don’t have to replace the money.
On September 24, the FTC sought public comment on whether to update its rule on impersonation of government and businesses to address platforms. The agency is asking about platform responsibilities that could include vetting advertisers, monitoring ads, and removing confirmed impersonation ads. That is an inquiry into possible action, not a finalized rule and not a finding that any particular platform knowingly ran a scam ad. The distinction matters; paperwork should have teeth, but it should also have facts.
Here is the performance review: the ad system is being asked to explain how it handles impersonation scams before anyone has settled what the platform must do or who cleans up when a consumer loses money. Meanwhile, the targeting tools are presented as a reason legitimate advertisers can reach people. If that same reach can help a scam find its mark, “the algorithm did it” is not a satisfying answer from the people who built the sales pitch around the algorithm.
Ordinary consumers deserve clear responsibilities, not a shrug, a password reset, and a support form that disappears into the national filing cabinet. The FTC is still asking what the rules should be; until that question has an answer, the people harmed by scams should not automatically carry the whole cost. The ad got its performance review. Now let’s see whether the system has to clean up after its own work.