Meta removes scam ads after India flags explicit-content bait luring users to download phishing apps

Meta removed numerous advertisements on Monday after India flagged a pattern of ads on Facebook as well as Instagram in which explicit content was being used to lure users into downloading fraudulent apps that could steal their personal credentials and drain their bank accounts, Reuters reported.

Around $2.4 billion was recorded in losses from cyber frauds in India in 2025 alone, as per government data seen by Reuters. The digital payments boon in the country is being an increasing target of online scammers.

As per the Indian government, ads were running on both Facebook and Instagram, operating under names like 'Kyss' and 'Night Play', which directed users to phishing websites as soon as they clicked on these links. The government said that it has been observing an increase in financial fraud involving “malicious Android applications masquerading as pornography apps”.

The news agency found around 39 such websites were still active even after an advisory on the same was issued by the government on Monday. A number of these websites had thumbnails depicting sexually explicit content, which helped attract more clicks.

Reuters reported that one such ad, which was a promotion for a video app that promised users hundreds of pornographic content, asked users to directly download a file with the name "Movexa.apk" outside of an official app store.

The advisory issued by the Indian government says that these apps can secretly access private information stored in the phones of users, capture one-time passwords, their bank PINs, as well as transfer money from their accounts without their knowledge.

Meta removed all of these ads soon after the same was flagged to the company by Reuters, the news agency reported.

Meta, as per its own policies, says that ads "must not contain adult nudity and sexual activity". The company also prohibits ads for products, services, schemes or offers using identified deceptive or misleading practices", as well as those that are intended to scam people out of their money.

This is the second time in recent days that India has raised concerns with the tech giant about financial frauds occurring via its social media sites. Earlier, the government of India had also directed Google to clamp down on hundreds of accounts on Firebase once it was discovered that scammers were using the platform to impersonate major banks.

As per an internal projection of Meta, banned goods' advertising or scams through its platforms would generate around 10% of the revenue it earned in 2024, which comes to around $16 billion.

With Reuters inputs