Meta pulls porn-baited Facebook, Instagram ads targeting bank credentials

American tech giant Meta has taken down dozens of Facebook and Instagram advertisements that used pornographic content as bait to steal Indian users’ banking credentials.

According to Peoples Gazette , citing Reuters, at least 39 of the ads, including ones titled “Night Play” and “Kyss,” remained active even after Indian authorities issued an advisory, but Meta pulled them down once the news outlet flagged them.

The ads directed users to phishing websites, where they were prompted to download Android apps disguised as pornographic apps, including one titled “Movexa.apk,” sourced from outside official app stores.

Indian authorities said the apps secretly harvested sensitive phone data, including bank PINs, and siphoned funds without users’ consent.

The country lost an estimated $2.4 billion to cyber scams in 2025 alone.

The revelation follows weeks after the Indian government pressed Meta over child abuse material found on Instagram, underscoring growing scrutiny of the platform’s ability to police harmful and exploitative content across its networks amid India’s booming digital economy.