Meta filed lawsuits against parties in Brazil and China accused of using celebrity deepfakes in advertisements tied to scam investment offerings. The cases allege deceptive use of public figures to drive fraud via platform advertising.

Meta announced it has filed lawsuits targeting alleged scam operators accused of using celebrity deepfakes in advertisements across Brazil and China. According to the reporting, the claims center on deceptive creative content—fabricated or synthetic celebrity imagery—used to promote investment-related offerings that are allegedly fraudulent. Meta’s action frames the conduct as an attempt to exploit trust and recognition: by pairing public figures with persuasive advertising formats, the scammers aimed to influence users into engaging with scam “investment” opportunities. The lawsuits also highlight how platform advertising can be leveraged to scale fraud, especially when synthetic media is used to make ads appear more credible. The allegations describe the deepfake-driven scams as using deceptive marketing techniques intended to generate interest, clicks, and follow-on victimization. Meta’s move signals increased legal enforcement posture in response to synthetic-media abuse, particularly where deepfakes are used not just for impersonation but for monetization through scam offerings. While the report does not detail outcomes of the legal proceedings, it describes the lawsuits as a direct response to conduct Meta contends violates its rules and enables fraudulent investment activity by misrepresenting who is behind the ads.