The\u00a0Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade\u00a0(TRACIT) and the\u00a0American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)\u00a0have just released a new important report showing that 70 major international brands were targeted by fraudulent advertisements on Instagram and Facebook since 2017, some of which receive up to a quarter of a million views before they are detected.<\/p>\n
\u200bThe report investigates and points out that Internet-based platforms for social networking and shopping from home have inherent systemic weaknesses that are exploited by criminals to sell any variety of counterfeit or illegal product with little risk of apprehension. The lack of sufficient policies and procedures to verify an advertiser\u2019s true identity and limited vetting during the onboarding process are identified as the main vulnerabilities that enable fraudulent advertising online.<\/p>\n