Medicare scam – A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate says scam ads tied to Medicare fraud reached tens of millions of impressions on Meta platforms and generated an estimated $14.3 million in revenue, raising fresh pressure on the company and regulators to
On a platform where older Americans can spend years trying to make sense of Medicare rules, scam ads were doing something simpler: getting clicks.
A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate says advertisements tied to Medicare scams appeared across Meta’s platforms and generated an estimated $14.3 million in revenue. The findings put a hard number on what critics have long feared—that social media has become a reliable delivery system for fraud aimed at seniors.
The report examined activity across Meta’s advertising platform and found widespread evidence of Medicare-related scams. Researchers analyzed more than 90. 000 ads from Meta’s Ad Library and identified tens of thousands of ads linked to Medicare scammers using deceptive tactics. Over a one-year period, scam campaigns generated about 215 million impressions.
The ads often promoted supposed government-backed benefits such as grocery allowances or cash payments, the report says. Many were misleading or entirely false. and they leaned on urgency and official-looking messaging to push users to act quickly—exactly the kind of framing that can blur the line between legitimate Medicare information and fraud.
For older Americans, the stakes aren’t abstract. The report describes the potential outcomes as identity theft, financial losses, and disruption to healthcare coverage.
“Medicare rules can be complicated. seniors can be anxious about rising costs. and social media can provide scammers a massive audience that can be targeted with official-looking ads. ” Alex Beene. a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin. told Newsweek. He said the challenge for Meta is creating a stronger screening process, faster removal, and tougher enforcement against repeat offenders.
Meta did not agree with the report’s conclusions. The company said it is actively working to combat scam advertising, removing large volumes of fraudulent ads using automated systems and human reviewers. Meta also described enforcement as ongoing because scam tactics evolve.
“Scammers are determined criminals who use increasingly sophisticated tactics to defraud people and evade detection on our platforms and across the internet. ” a Meta spokesperson previously told CyberGuy. The spokesperson said Meta removed over 159 million scam ads last year. with 92 percent taken down before anyone reported them. launched new tools to protect people. and partnered with law enforcement around the globe to disrupt these criminals.
The report portrays a scam playbook that repeats. Scammers, it says, used fake government branding and ads designed to look like official Medicare programs. They relied on false promises of thousands of dollars in benefits for groceries, rent, or gas. The tactics also included fabricated or AI-generated endorsements from celebrities and public figures. along with urgent deadlines that pressured users to click.
In many cases, the report says, users who clicked were asked to submit personal data or were redirected into Medicare plans that offered worse coverage than the benefits they already had.
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, argued the fraud isn’t slipping through randomly.
“These weren’t new fraudsters slipping through the cracks. They were repeat offenders. Scammers whose ads had already been removed and who came right back and bought more,” Ryan told Newsweek.
He also criticized Meta’s framing of its enforcement results.
“Is that an accident? No. Sounds more like their business model. Meta’s defense is that they removed 160 million scam ads last year. On paper, that sounds impressive. In real life though? They kept the $14 million anyway. You don’t get credit for cleaning up a mess you’re being paid to create.”
That dispute now sits in a widening policy fight over whether major platforms profit from fraudulent advertising even as they tout enforcement.
Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) previously called for investigations. Last year. the lawmakers sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins to “investigate and. if appropriate. bring enforcement actions against Meta for its facilitation of and profiting from criminal investment scams. fake government benefits schemes. deepfake pornography. and other fraudulent activities.”.
Ryan said Facebook is “uniquely dangerous” because its targeting tools can let scammers focus on adults 65 and older. He pointed to examples including “Celebrity deepfakes of Oprah promising ‘free grocery benefits’. ” government impersonation. and fake Medicare Advantage upgrade offers delivered using algorithmic targeting to vulnerable audiences.
For seniors, he said, the damage can extend beyond money.
“A senior who hands over their Medicare number to a scammer doesn’t just lose money. They risk fraudulent claims filed in their name, benefits that get exhausted before they need them, and months of bureaucratic hell trying to clean it up.”
The report’s findings are likely to increase scrutiny and regulatory pressure on Meta and similar platforms. Potential next steps mentioned alongside the report include federal investigations by agencies such as the FTC. new legislation requiring stricter ad verification and removal standards. and increased enforcement around Medicare-related marketing practices.
Beene offered advice aimed at the reality that scams can look convincing.
“For seniors, the best protection is to assume any Medicare offer seen in a social media ad is suspicious, never share a Medicare or Social Security number through an ad or unsolicited call, and verify benefits directly through Medicare or their insurer,” he said.
Medicare scams Meta Facebook ads seniors digital fraud Center for Countering Digital Hate FTC SEC identity theft Medicare Advantage