Brazil's AGU Leads Operation to Halt Fraudulent Social Media Ads

The Advocacia‑Geral da União (AGU), through its National Prosecutor's Office for the Defense of Democracy (PNDD), filed a crime report that prompted the Federal Police to launch Operation Ad Phishing. The operation targets fraudulent digital ads that falsely use images of government authorities and official symbols.

Nine search and seizure warrants were issued in the states of Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. investigators identified at least 1,770 fraudulent advertisements on Facebook and Instagram that misrepresented government symbols and promoted false information about payments and PIX transaction reporting.

AGU also filed a public civil action against Facebook Brasil, seeking the removal of the ads, an assessment of the revenue earned from them, and the allocation of any proceeds to the Fund for the Defense of Diffuse Rights. The lawsuit relies on a study by the NetLab/UFRJ that catalogued the fraudulent ads posted between 10 and 21 January.