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Fakebook: How to Spot Fake Facebook Adverts - BBC Rip Off Britain: Live

Consumer Champion, Television,


Whether it's fake news, fake likes or fake adverts, Facebook hasn't been far from the top of the news agenda over the last few months.

On Monday's Rip Off Britain: Live (BBC1, 9.15am) I addressed the fake Facebook adverts issue which has recently seen money-saving expert Martin Lewis sue the social network for damages after his face appeared in fake adverts for scam financial products.

The fake Facebook adverts I see generally fall into three main categories:

Rip Off Britain - Fake Facebook Adverts.
Don't trust an advert just because it features a trusted face (image credit: BBC)

Fake Celebrity Endorsements

Advertisers have long worked with trusted names to grow reach and sales - and there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, as Martin Lewis and others have found, it’s a doddle for rogue advertisers to mock up fake celebrity endorsements, fake news reports - even entire fake websites - in an attempt to ensnare unwitting readers into their sales funnel.

MY ADVICE: Don't trust an advert just because it features a trusted face, or appears to be a news story from a reputable news site, do your own research first.

Free Trial Offers

Invited to sign up for a free trial of smart pills, skin cream, eye serum or anti-wrinkle rub? Be very, very wary - it's not often there's a free lunch on the Internet. Or a free miracle anti-ageing or weight-loss cure.

Buried away in the T&Cs may be clauses which mean - one way or another - you’ll end up forking out a fortune, often as a subscription. And working out how to cancel it or get a refund can prove a real headache.

Good trial offers do exist online, but they're often for digital services - video and music streaming services, for example.

MY ADVICE: Be suspicious of free trials of physical products on social media from companies you've never heard of, and give the terms and conditions every possible scrutiny, keeping a digital copy to refer back to.

Don't trust this fake ad.
Don't trust this fake ad.

Misrepresentation

This is where the beautifully presented goods you see in the advert bear little resemblance to what you eventually get in the post, and it's something we've covered many times before on Rip Off Britain.

Often the advertisers rely on people giving up hope at this point, not bothering with the inevitable hassle of returning an item. And the firms that walk this tightrope certainly don’t make it easy for those that can be bothered.

MY ADVICE: Always do your own research, away from the social network, before you press 'buy'; research the company advertising the goods, see where they're actually based and what other people say about their experiences of buying from them.

More Tips To Spot Fake Ads

BBC Rip Off Britain: Live airs every day on BBC1 and 9.15am Monday 25th -29th June 2018 - catch up on iPlayer here.

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