Survivors of online scams in New York are backing legislation to hold social media companies accountable for sharing fraudulent ads on their platforms.
A recent report by the Consumer Federation of America finds New Yorkers are losing more than $6 billion each year to online scams. That includes New York City resident Josh Carrera’s mom, who lost more than $100,000 in a romance scam that ultimately harmed his entire family.
“They were so sophisticated,” he said. “The tools made it impossible to completely block them because they just had a million other profiles and phone numbers they could activate.”
Carrera is sharing his story as part of today’s National Scam Survivor Day.
The bill would require tech companies to prevent, detect and remove false ads. It would also give the state attorney general’s office and individuals the power to sue tech companies for damages.
Crime experts say online scams targeting the elderly often entice lonely individuals into financially draining schemes. Medicare scams often trick seniors into sharing financial information for fear their benefits will otherwise end.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, earned roughly $14 million from these ads in 2025 alone.
Carrera said he considers the addictive nature of Meta’s and other companies’ platforms to be a public health crisis that will eventually impact us all.
“We shouldn’t be letting these tech companies profit off our pain and our loneliness,” he said. “They should be helping us build our social safety net so we have the protections in place.”
The legislation would also allow the state to fine tech companies for posting fraudulent ads and failure to remove them.
According to Meta, the company is expanding its ad verification process, noting it removed nearly 160 million scam ads last year and disabled more than 10 million scam-related accounts.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.