Meta, the Parent Company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has pleged to delete imposter accounts connected to scams that were flagged recently by the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney, following a phone conversation between the two sides last week.
Last week, Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney accused Meta of refusing to remove imposter accounts that the DA said present themselves as bodies like Catholic Charities to offer fake immigration services that scam money from unsuspecting victims.
In a letter to Meta, Bragg said, “These imposter accounts have led to tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers.”
Writing to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Bragg demanded the company take action after requests to pull down false accounts were declined.
Bragg wrote: “Scammers frequently target immigrant populations because they are perceived to be, and often are, more vulnerable to fraud and in need of a specific type of legal assistance.”
In some cases, scammers set up public Facebook profiles that look like real accounts belonging to pro bono legal services organizations, Bragg said.
In others, they create profiles on WhatsApp posing as Immigration lawyers connected to those same Organizations, constantly using the names and logos of legal Organizations to present the demeanour of credibility.
According to Manhattan D.A. News:
We called on Meta to take steps to stop imposter accounts from falsely posing as pro bono Organizations offering immigration services. “This specific scam preys on the perceived vulnerability of immigrants looking for legal assistance. We hope to collaborate to develop a comprehensive approach to protect Meta’s users from fraud”, said D.A. Bragg
