OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — The Center for Countering Digital Hate is set to release a report Tuesday alleging that scam advertisements targeting older users are widespread on Facebook. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it was reviewing the findings.

According to the report, an advance copy of which was provided to the outlet, ads from 30 of the most active scam accounts generated an estimated 215 million ad impressions on Facebook over the past year. Seventy-three percent of those impressions came from users over 65.

Many of the ads use fake images or videos of President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, television host Oprah Winfrey, entertainer Steve Harvey, actor Brad Pitt and the cartoon character Bart Simpson. The ads aim to persuade viewers to click a link to a website or call a phone number, after which their personal data is collected or they are steered into worse Medicare programs.

One ad featured in the report promoted $3,600 in free groceries, rent and gas through Medicare. "Don't be an idiot. Claim it now," the ad said.

"Meta is more than an unwitting participant. The company allows ads to reappear on its platform after being removed, even when they are nearly identical," Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed said.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone defended the company's enforcement record. "Scammers are determined criminals who use increasingly sophisticated tactics to defraud people and evade detection on our platforms and across the internet," he said. "We aggressively fight scams on and off our platforms because they're not good for us or the people and businesses that rely on our services."

Stone said the company had stepped up enforcement over the past year. "We removed over 159 million scam ads last year alone — 92% of which we took down before anyone reported them — launched new tools to protect people, and partnered with law enforcement around the globe to disrupt these criminals," he said.

Meta has faced criticism for years for not cracking down on ads that violate its written policies, including ads for weight loss drugs, AI nudification apps and illegal opioids. Last month, an investigation by Reset Tech documented deceptive health ads targeting people in Europe.

The company faces multiple class action complaints over the spread of scam ads. In a case pending in federal court in Oakland, California, three Facebook users allege that the company profits from online swindles at the expense of users. According to court filings, Meta argued in the suit that it provides Facebook "as is" and makes no guarantees that it will always be safe, secure, or error-free.