HONOLULU (KHON2) — If you’ve spent time on social media lately, you may have come across ads or videos selling merchandise claiming to support a charity.
According to the Better Business Bureau, these video ads, often featuring pleading older adults, adorable animals, and touching music, are part of a growing social media scam targeting animal lovers and kind-hearted donors.
BBB’s Cameron Nakashima told KHON2 in reports received by the BBB, they’re seeing an increase in deceptive ads involving the use of AI-generated videos.
Recently, they published a warning specifically about deceptive advertisements on social media, notably TikTok, that allege to be associated with charities or local impact groups.
However, people are reporting that many of these ads are scams, not actual charities. The reality is that AI-generated videos are getting better by the year – they are convincing and effective. So we don’t see them going away anytime soon.
Nakashima provides these tips to stay safe:
- Don’t give in to videos that tug at your heartstrings. If you see one of these videos with kittens, puppies, or cows and want to make a purchase to support the cause, resist the urge to do so right away, even if the video relays a sense of urgency.
- Give locally. Contact your local or state/provincial animal shelters or other agencies directly and ask how you can support them.
- Only do business with companies you know and trust. If you want to purchase a product or donate, do so through a reputable business or non-profit. If you want to buy something from a company you aren’t familiar with, do plenty of research first. Look up the company name, website, and contact information. For businesses, read reviews on BBB.org and do a general search with the company’s name and the word “scam.” For charities, you can look them up on Give.org.
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He said not to skip this step, even if you’re excited about the product. It’s the best way to protect yourself from fraud.