Facebook and Google failed to remove online scam adverts after fraud victims reported them, according to consumer watchdog Which?
Google had failed to remove 34% of the scam adverts reported to it, compared with 26% at Facebook, the study indicated.
Both companies said they removed fraudulent adverts, which are banned on their platforms.
But Which? said a more proactive approach was needed.
On Facebook, the biggest reason people did not report the scam was they doubted anything would be done.
On Google, it was because the victim did not know how to report the scam. Which? researchers said Google’s reporting process was complex and unclear.
“The combination of inaction from online platforms when scam ads are reported, low reporting levels by scam victims and the ease with which advertisers can post new fraudulent adverts even after the original ad has been removed suggests that online platforms need to take a far more proactive approach to prevent fraudulent content from reaching potential victims in the first place,” Which? said.
And it has launched a free scam-alert service to warn consumers of the latest tactics used by fraudsters.
“There is no doubt that tech giants, regulators and the government need to go to greater lengths to prevent scams from flourishing,” Adam French, consumer rights expert at Which?, said.
“Online platforms must be given a legal responsibility to identify, remove and prevent fake and fraudulent content on their sites… and the government needs to act now.”
