British consumers have filed a multi‑billion‑pound group lawsuit against Meta Platforms, accusing the owner of Facebook and Instagram of allowing fraudulent adverts that left victims financially devastated. The claim, launched by law firms Humphries Kerstetter and Richardson Hartley, says users lost an average of £37,000 each, with some losses exceeding £140,000... According to the filing, Meta earned more than £430 million from UK users last year by hosting these illegal ads.

£430 million in alleged ad revenue from UK scams

Internal documents obtained by Reuters show Meta projected that about 10 % of its 2024 advertising income – roughly $16 billion globally – would come from scam‑related ads. The UK portion alone is estimated at over £430 million, a figure the plaintiffs argue demonstrates a profit motive behind the platform’s lax enforcement. As the Online Safety Act requires Meta to proactively curb harmful content, the lawsuit warns the company could face fines up to ten percent of its worldwide turnover, which was $200 billion in 2025.

Wayne Luxon’s £140,000 loss illustrates deep‑fake danger

One of the most striking cases cited is that of 43‑year‑old Wayne Luxon from Taunton, Somerset, who lost £140,000 after a deep‑fake video featuring finance guru Martin Lewis appeared on Facebook. Luxon invested £250 initially, saw a false return of £500, and eventually poured an additional £16 ,000 before the scheme collapsed, leaving his account empty. He later received a partial refund from Barclays but was denied reimbursement for the fraudulent tax charges.

Algorithmic targeting turns pension searches into scam funnels

The complaint alleges Meta’s algorithms track users’ browsing activity and serve ads that appear relevant to searches for pension advice or investment opportunities. Victims who later search for ways to recover lost funds are often redirected to further counterfeit sites, creating a vicious cycle of deception. Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, has publicly warned that such impersonations have become “worse than ever,” prompting consumer group Which? to write to the Prime Minister demanding urgent action.

Who will bear the cost? Politicians vs. trillion‑dollar tech giants

Senior partner Martin Richardson of Richardson Hartley Law argues that political hesitation to confront “trillion‑dollar corporations with armies of lawyers and lobbyists” leaves ordinary people without recourse .. The lawsuit seeks compensation for the average £37,000 loss per victim and aims to pressure Meta into overhauling its ad‑screening processes. As the legal battle unfolds,the outcome could set a precedent for how UK regulators hold global platforms accountable for financial harms.

What remains unverified about Meta’s internal controls?

The filing does not disclose how many fraudulent ads Meta identified and removed before the lawsuit, nor does it provide independent verification of the £430 million revenue claim. Additionally, the extent to which Meta’s own safety tools were deployed to flag crypto‑related content remains unclear. these gaps leave open questions about the company’s actual compliance with the Online Safety Act.