By KENJI ODA/ Staff Writer
April 25, 2024 at 17:22 JST
KOBE—Four plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit against the platform operator of Facebook and Instagram for running fraudulent ads that duped them into investing in projects they believed were endorsed by noted entrepreneurs.
The four submitted the lawsuit on April 25 to Kobe District Court. It seeks about 23 million yen ($148,000) in damages from the Japanese arm of Meta, the operator of Facebook and Instagram.
It is highly unusual for Japanese residents to go to the courts to seek compensation from social media operators for frauds carried out through their platforms.
According to lawyers for the plaintiffs, the four saw ads on Facebook and Instagram featuring such entrepreneurs as Yusaku Maezawa, the founder of the online fashion retailer Zozo Inc.
The fake ads offered investment opportunities. Later, someone claiming to be an assistant contacted the four, who made arrangements to transfer money.
An official with the Japanese arm of Meta declined to comment.
According to the National Police Agency, the total amount taken in such social media investment frauds last year totaled about 27.79 billion yen.
Maezawa and others whose images have been used in fake ads have called on the government to strengthen laws to crack down on the schemes.
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A fake ad on Facebook using the image of Yusaku Maezawa, the founder of online fashion retailer Zozo Inc., promises instant riches. (Naoko Murai)
