THREAD: You’ve probably seen ads like these on Facebook or elsewhere online. A celeb's in big trouble! It’s a lie, and all part of a massive scam that's stolen billions. I investigated a company that did this on a global scale, and the details are crazy: buzzfeednews.com/article/craigs… 
The company is called Ads Inc and has an office in San Diego. Since 2016 it spent more than $50 MILLION placing ads like those on Facebook. It weaponized Facebook's ad targeting to reach ppl all over the world, and trick them into expensive subscriptions. Here's how:
The evil genius of Ads Inc was that it evaded detection in part by using thousands of different Facebook accounts to place ads. And it got these by paying average Americans $15 a month to "rent" their FB accounts. More here: buzzfeednews.com/article/craigs…
Ads Inc had a network of mostly stay at home moms in the US who recruited friends and family to rent their accounts. They told them it was risk free (it isn't) and legit (nope). These recruiters got paid a commission. Where did they find recruits? On Facebook, of course!
Once Ads Inc had a new rented account, the company used overseas workers in the Philippines to link the rented account to a newly-created Facebook page, and a credit card. Then they began "warming" this new page and ad account with legit posts and ads.
Then it was time to start pumping out misleading ads via these Facebook pages. Here's a sample of the names they used for pages. Mostly weird generic topics, with a stock image as the profile pic. Delicious peaches, sure why not!
People who saw the ads and clicked are then taken to a landing page featuring a fake article about the celeb, and a design that often rips off a real news site. Let's take a tour of different celebs, brands, and languages, OK? I am partial to this Shaq/Fox News/dick pill combo.
How about some landing pages targeting people in Sweden and Malaysia?
Or these ones made to look like CNN and the Daily Star. The list goes on...
I know what you're thinking: "Who would fall for this?" Over the last decade or so the FTC has gone after companies who had $1.3 BILLION in sales doing this. Lots of people do. At Ads Inc, they went after one demographic: boomers.
A lot of people can't afford to have an extra, surprise $100 charge on their credit card. And the credit card companies almost never offer chargebacks for this scam. Meanwhile it's designed to be hard to cancel the subscription. Some people end up having to cancel their card.
Meanwhile, Facebook is being paid to run these ads, its users are being paid to rent their accounts, and tons of other Facebook users are getting ripped off. After I shared my findings with FB for comment, it sent Ads Inc a cease and desist, and took other action.
As for Ads Inc., there's a ton more info about it in my story, including the founder's ties to San Diego Republican politics. And at the risk of being clickbaity, I think you'll find it's worth it to read all the way to the end to see the co.'s response: buzzfeednews.com/article/craigs…
