Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today her office has teamed up with Meta in a public service announcement campaign to fight investment, romance, and user support scams that trick Iowans out of their hard-earned money on social media platforms.
The public service announcement campaign will include educational items that will be given away at the Iowa Attorney General’s booth in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair from Thursday, August 13, through Sunday, August 23.
Americans lost nearly $16 billion to online fraud last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In Iowa alone, the Attorney General’s office receives thousands of complaints every year from people who have been scammed, often by criminals operating from the other side of the world using social media platforms.
Romance scams are when a criminal assumes a fake identity to become close to you and convince you to send them money or cryptocurrency, share your personal data with them, and often, convince you to get involved in fake investments.
In investment scams, criminals use social media platforms to trick people into “investing” their money in fake, high-return financial opportunities that are not real.
User support or tech support scams occur when a criminal pretends to be an employee from a big company, like your bank, and they try to scare you into thinking your computer has a virus or your money is in danger so that you will grant them access to your computer or device.
“Scammers are as adaptable as they are evil,” said Attorney General Bird. “They get more sophisticated as they find ways to steal Iowans’ money. Because they often use social media platforms to connect with Iowans, it is good for us to work with Meta in this fight. We look forward to seeing Iowans at the Iowa Attorney General’s booth at the State Fair, so they can learn valuable tips to avoid these scams.”
“We’re proud to partner with Attorney General Bird and develop an industry-leading model we need to combat online scams. This fight requires law enforcement and the private sector working side by side — sharing information, acting fast, and closing the gaps that criminals are all too eager to exploit,” said C.J. Mahoney, Chief Legal Officer of Meta. “Through our work together, we will provide people practical tools to help spot scams before the damage is done while we identify and remove bad actors from online platforms.”
In July, the Iowa Attorney General’s office and Meta conducted a series of joint training sessions for dozens of Iowa law enforcement officers to give them the tools to combat cybercriminals targeting Iowans. And, armed with law enforcement tips, Meta can identify and remove violating content, preserve account data, disclose records pursuant to a judicial order, and respond to emergency requests when someone faces an imminent threat.
If an Iowan has been the victim of a romance, investment, or user support scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Iowa Attorney General’s office at 515-281-5926, email consumer@ag.iowa.gov, or through our website iowaattorneygeneral.gov.
