YouTube is facing a growing crisis as users, advertisers, and marketing experts report a significant surge in deceptive and scam advertisements appearing on the platform. The issue, which includes everything from non-existent government programmes to explicit sexual content, is predicted by specialists to deteriorate further.
From Fake Grants to Explicit Content: Users Share Their Experiences
While online advertising typically uses algorithms to show relevant products, a disturbing trend of misleading promotions is bypassing YouTube's safeguards. Users have provided Metro with numerous examples of these fraudulent adverts.
Bruce Simpson, 72, described encountering promotions for "impossible" products, such as portable heaters claiming to warm a room in two minutes and "robot toy dogs" identified by experts as scams. Despite reporting dozens of these ads through YouTube's system and directly to its support team on X, Bruce finds they often continue to run for weeks or months. "From time to time, I've kept the pressure on, but the ads just keep running," he told Metro.
In a more extreme case, Billy Ray, 72, from Indianapolis, reported seeing three explicit adverts in a single day, describing them as "usually of a woman performing fellatio or women with multiple penises in her face."
Internationally, Arin Hjorulfr from Halmstad, Sweden, saw an advert in November falsely claiming the Swedish government was offering citizens 30,000 SEK (£2,400). Another claimed to be "government-approved." Clicking the links led only to spam websites designed to mimic legitimate news outlets. A Swedish government spokesperson confirmed to Metro that these ads were fraudulent.
Marketing head Tom Bourlet noted a decline in ad quality, now seeing "terrible" AI-generated promotions featuring characters with distorted features like too many fingers. "They're rushed together," he observed.
Why Scammers Are Targeting YouTube and the 'Malvertising' Threat
Experts point to several factors enabling this wave of low-quality and dangerous advertising. Dr Yusuf Oc, an associate professor at Bayes Business School in London, highlighted concerning ads for ethically grey AI tools, such as one promoting digital avatar creation from a single photo without discussing consent.
He warned that algorithms quickly feed such content to interested users, while platforms, under pressure to generate revenue, may prioritise selling ad space over rigorous vetting. "You're trusting them to always have your business interests as their core focus, when their own revenue is the most important," added Tom Bourlet.
The threat extends beyond mere annoyance to active cybersecurity risks. Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, explained that scammers are turning to "malvertising"—paying for or hijacking ad slots to direct users to look-alike websites. These sites then steal login credentials or payment details under the guise of a "verification charge." "The moment you do that, they can steal your credentials, infect your machine or both," Briedis stated.
Legitimate advertisers are also impacted. Hone John Tito, co-founder of Game Host Bros, said scam ads for "Free Minecraft Servers" appear alongside his genuine content, damaging trust for all parties.
Platform Response and What Users Can Do
When contacted by users, TeamYouTube on X has stated that review teams are investigating reports, but this process "might take time." The company emphasises that ads violating its policies should not appear and stresses the importance of user reports to help address issues.
Google, YouTube's parent company, points to its "rigorous" advertising policies and significant investment in ad quality. The tech giant reported removing over 5.1 billion bad ads and 9.1 billion restricted ads last year. Advertisers are subject to identity checks and must comply with local laws, with content reviewed by both automated systems and human staff.
However, for users like Bruce Simpson, the response feels inadequate. He fears that the proliferation of scam adverts could lead to the "downfall of YouTube as a platform." Dr Yusuf Oc suggests that for ad quality to genuinely improve, platforms must take greater responsibility, strengthen vetting processes, and provide better cybersecurity training for employees.
To report a suspicious YouTube advert, click the "More" or "Info" icon on the ad and select "Report ad." You can also block specific ads from appearing again using the same menu.
