to think Facebook should have banned this scam advert

cakeorwine · 2025-01-06T19:31:26+00:00

No, Great Western Railway aren't giving away £3 passes for their trains. Despite what the Facebook ad said. And despite the comments of people "showing" their passes in the comments. This was from Full Fact last year. I saw a recent ad - and reported it But apparently it didn't break any rules. [[https://fullfact.org/online/great-western-railway-gift-card-year-travel-facebook/ Great Western Railway is not giving away a free year of travel for £1.69 – Full Fact]] Why wouldn't Facebook remove it?

KimberleyClark · 07/01/2025 14:29

TinyTear · 07/01/2025 08:53

Ahem 50+ are Gen X and we are a bit more savvy that that... Boomers are 60+ and I hope to think they are also more intelligent that that

Show quote history

Yes we are!

KimberleyClark · 07/01/2025 14:28

I assume those ones that say Amazon is giving away ooo’s of last year’s iPads/iPhones for £30 are scams? Even though there are “just received mine” comments underneath?

Fizbosshoes · 07/01/2025 14:19

A few years ago there was a center parcs one where you had to like or comment and win a weekend away.
Cue all sorts of sob stories why people deserved it more than anyone else

TheDandyLion · 07/01/2025 14:15

So many these days, I've almost fallen for them in the past but I've just started a personal policy of don't buy anything from a social media app and just go to an actual commerce website.

StMarie4me · 07/01/2025 14:12

@12purplepencils I AM a Boomer (just at 62) and I teach this bloody stuff to people half my age!

StMarie4me · 07/01/2025 14:07

Asda aren't giving away £250 either.

I just write

S. C. A. M.

On every post.

MereDintofPandiculation · 07/01/2025 14:05

I reported the Seasalt ones as scam, with mo effect. So I tried reporting as impersonation, giving, as requested, the genuine Seasalt facebook page. Still no result

DuesToTheDirt · 07/01/2025 14:01

GallopingGuineaPigs · 07/01/2025 07:10

And yet I had a perfectly legitimate link to my own small business removed as "a scam or misleading content" when I tried to advertise locally 🙄

I once had a wordle result blocked as spam lol.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 07/01/2025 10:06

I've seen one for Cadbury's and Charlotte Tilbury make-up. The Cadbury's one was believable as it's not an expensive brand. The CT one was less believable as it usually costs a fortune! Facebook should be taking all this stuff down. They know what's going on and just don't care!

TinyTear · 07/01/2025 08:55

12purplepencils · 07/01/2025 07:39

Oops sorry 😆 I also failed to remember I’m only about 5 years off 50 myself,
I guess the people I’m referring to (friends of my mum) are 70s. There are just a few fb acquaintances that repeatedly fall for things, repost the messages about “post this so Facebook can’t steal your photos/data”, the scam adverts, and also the “which of my friends will read to the end”, repost this don’t just comment awful ones.

Apologies for the previous post, didn't realise you had already apologised
:-)

and the 90s were just 15 years ago wasn't it?

TinyTear · 07/01/2025 08:53

12purplepencils · 06/01/2025 20:51

Facebook is crap for this.
many people know now that majority of ads on there are scams but I know lots of people sucked in, generally of the baby boomer 50+ generation

Ahem 50+ are Gen X and we are a bit more savvy that that... Boomers are 60+ and I hope to think they are also more intelligent that that

SallyWD · 07/01/2025 07:55

I spent £60 on a Cath Kidston sale being advertised on Facebook but it was a scam and I lost the money. They seem to have a lot of scams.

Optigan · 07/01/2025 07:53

12purplepencils · 07/01/2025 07:39

Oops sorry 😆 I also failed to remember I’m only about 5 years off 50 myself,
I guess the people I’m referring to (friends of my mum) are 70s. There are just a few fb acquaintances that repeatedly fall for things, repost the messages about “post this so Facebook can’t steal your photos/data”, the scam adverts, and also the “which of my friends will read to the end”, repost this don’t just comment awful ones.

Oops sorry 😆 I also failed to remember I’m only about 5 years off 50 myself

Well, in fairness, the 1990s were only about 10 years ago! 😆

12purplepencils · 07/01/2025 07:39

Oops sorry 😆 I also failed to remember I’m only about 5 years off 50 myself,
I guess the people I’m referring to (friends of my mum) are 70s. There are just a few fb acquaintances that repeatedly fall for things, repost the messages about “post this so Facebook can’t steal your photos/data”, the scam adverts, and also the “which of my friends will read to the end”, repost this don’t just comment awful ones.

Optigan · 07/01/2025 07:35

12purplepencils · 06/01/2025 20:51

Facebook is crap for this.
many people know now that majority of ads on there are scams but I know lots of people sucked in, generally of the baby boomer 50+ generation

50 - 60 year olds are Gen X and we are generally quite savvy having been through the dawn of the digital age as young adults.

But you are right about Facebook being a nest of scams and misinformation.

MinnieBalloon · 07/01/2025 07:32

Quite honestly people need to take some personal responsibility 🤷‍♀️

FontainesDH · 07/01/2025 07:29

12purplepencils · 06/01/2025 20:51

Facebook is crap for this.
many people know now that majority of ads on there are scams but I know lots of people sucked in, generally of the baby boomer 50+ generation

Baby boomer 50+ generation? 50 year olds are not baby boomers!

Inmydreams88 · 07/01/2025 07:21

I’ve reported similar posts like “Asda are giving away £250 voucher for all school kids… just click this link”

But they’ve never removed them.

SensibleSigma · 07/01/2025 07:20

Facebook is too massive to moderate manually, so it’s done by AI. It simply isn’t able to see why the scam is a scam. It’s very odd.

I’ve reported fake profiles that sell tickets and all sorts. Rarely get one taken down.

It’s very frustrating, but I think we need to work on helping people realise how these scams work. The number of unlikely adverts I see liked by my friends- clearly from the like farmers.

LaDeeDaDeeDa · 07/01/2025 07:13

There are lots of scammers and scam adverts on Facebook and the moderators do little to take them down.

A common one is a well known supper market offering £500 to a random who likes and comments 'winner' for example.

GallopingGuineaPigs · 07/01/2025 07:10

And yet I had a perfectly legitimate link to my own small business removed as "a scam or misleading content" when I tried to advertise locally 🙄

XWKD · 07/01/2025 06:57

Facebook should be held accountable for the ads it hosts, the same as a TV station.

Busband · 07/01/2025 06:55

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 06/01/2025 20:55

These should be removed, but surely no one thinks these are real?

I did! I don’t generally spend a lot of time if FB so hadn’t come across one before and the comments seemed so real!
I am honestly usually really switched on, never fall for the email or text message scams I get etc

HeBeaverandSheBeaver · 06/01/2025 21:58

I saw some beautiful western style clothes in there and nearly ordered. Stopped myself just in time. Googled and couldn't find a reputable website of the company so assumed fake. So annoying!!!

Soggythatch · 06/01/2025 21:57

The best are the free carvery ones with a barcode. It seems some people take them to Toby who probably piss themselves laughing.

Oh and the fake win a caravan trip one with literally 1000s of comments of why people deserve it cos their hamsters cousins wifes brother is terminal etc. Quite sad really.