Google Deploys AI to Wipe Out Half a Billion Scam Ads in 2024

In a sweeping crackdown on advertising fraud, Google announced that it used artificial intelligence to eliminate nearly half a billion scam ads in 2024 — a decisive move that aligns with growing demands from banks and lawmakers for tech platforms to take greater responsibility in fighting online scams, according to Finextra.

As stated by the tech giant, AI-powered tools led to the suspension of 39.2 million advertiser accounts in the U.S. alone, more than three times the number suspended in 2023.

The company attributed the success to more than 50 upgrades rolled out last year to its Large Language Models (LLMs). These upgrades enhanced Google’s ability to detect malicious behaviors and scam indicators during the early stages of account setup. “These updates sped up complex investigations, helping us identify bad actors and fraud signals — like illegitimate payment information — during account setup,” Google said. “This kept billions of policy-violating ads from ever showing to a consumer, while ensuring legitimate businesses can show ads to customers faster.”

In response to the rise of AI-powered scams — particularly those using deepfake impersonations of public figures — Google bolstered its defenses and adapted its detection techniques. The company said it focused heavily on combating impersonation scams that falsely represent businesses and government officials.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), such impersonation scams cost U.S. consumers $2.95 billion in 2024. “To fight back, we assembled a team of over 100 experts to develop countermeasures, such as updating our Misrepresentation policy to suspend advertisers that promote these scams,” the company stated.

“As a result, we were able to permanently suspend more than 700,000 offending advertiser accounts. This led to a 90% drop in reports of this kind of scam ad last year.”

Despite the impressive figures, Google — along with other tech giants like Meta — continues to face scrutiny. Critics argue that these platforms remain primary channels for scam operations, prompting calls from financial institutions and fintech companies for Big Tech to share liability and reimbursement responsibilities for victims of scams that originate on their services.