SCARS™ Anti-Scam FAQ: Instagram Fake Ads

 
It can be difficult to tell what’s real or not on social media these days—including advertisements. Scammers often post fake ads to get you to buy one product only to send you a cheap knockoff. Instagram has offered some tips if you think you have come across a suspicious ad:
 
You can learn more about an account if you go to their profile, tap the menu and then select “About This Account.”
 
There, you can see the date the account joined Instagram, the country where the account is located, accounts with shared followers, and username changes. Within “About this Account,” you can also see all ads that the business is currently running.
 
People can report an account, an ad, or a post that they feel is misleading. To report an ad, click the “…” on the top right of the ad and click Report Ad. Follow the on-screen instructions and select “It’s a scam or it’s misleading.”
 
You can always go back and visit your own ad interactions, including all ads you have clicked on in Stories and Feed, from the past 90 days within your Settings.