![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/YYT-ADS-d3ef.gif\")
\n\t\tViewers are two times more likely to buy something they saw on YouTube (Picture: Getty\/X\/Metro)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tViewers are two times more likely to buy something they saw on YouTube (Picture: Getty\/X\/Metro)<\/p>\n
YouTube<\/a> users, advertisers and marketing experts have told Metro they have encountered \u2018scam\u2019 advertisements on the platform.<\/p>\n Online ads work by showing a user products or services they\u2019d be interested in<\/a> \u2013 a runner may see banners for trainers, for example.<\/p>\n But some ads on the video-sharing <\/a>website owned by Google, as described by users or seen by Metro<\/strong>, have taken a different approach.<\/p>\n Users claim to have seen ads for non-existent government programmes, discount drones, honey rituals that \u2018prevent memory loss\u2019 and \u2018biblical solutions\u2019 to toenail fungus.<\/p>\n \u2018I saw an advert of a woman with a penis in her face\u2019<\/p>\n Billy Ray, 72, from Indianapolis, told Metro <\/strong>he saw three explicit adverts in one day, \u2018usually of a woman performing fellatio or women with multiple penises in her face\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t While not vulgar, Bruce Simpson, 72, told Metro <\/strong>that he has seen ads for \u2018impossible\u2019 products \u2013 portable heaters that can heat a room in two minutes or \u2018robot toy dogs\u2019 considered a scam by experts<\/a>.<\/p>\n He has flagged dozens through the platform\u2019s in-built report system and to YouTube\u2019s support team on X.<\/p>\n Bruce said: \u2018From time to time, I\u2019ve kept the pressure on, but the ads just keep running weeks or months after being reported.\u2019<\/p>\n TeamYouTube stressed to Bruce on X that review teams are investigating, which might \u2018take time\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t Arin Hjorulfr, from Halmstad, Sweden<\/a>, saw an ad in November that claimed the Swedish government<\/a> is offering Swedes SEK 30,000 (\u00a32,400).<\/p>\n He also saw another advert \u2018approved by the government\u2019, yet clicking the links to both ads led to \u2018spam websites\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018They try to make it look like they are a Swedish newspaper, but all are fake and lead deeper into the scam,\u2019 Arin said.<\/p>\n When Metro <\/strong>tried to access these links this week, most returned an error message.<\/p>\n TeamYouTube told <\/a>Arin: \u2018Ads that violate our policies shouldn\u2019t be showing up on YouTube (just like any other content that violates policies, we work quickly to remove it once we\u2019re made aware).<\/p>\n \u2018If you run into an inappropriate ad, it helps us address it if you report it.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t A Swedish government spokesperson told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018I can confirm that these ads are not from the Swedish Government Offices.\u2019<\/p>\n How do ads work on YouTube and are they regulated?<\/p>\n Companies secure ad space on social media platforms through an automated auction, where bids happen in milliseconds<\/a> when a user loads a video or scrolls down their feed.<\/p>\n Viewers are twice more likely to buy something they saw on YouTube, according to Google<\/a>. <\/p>\n The company has said it has rigorous advertising policies and invests significantly in ad quality and consumer experience.<\/p>\n Dishonest, clickbaity and sexualised <\/a>advertising is strictly prohibited. Advertisers must go through identity checks<\/a>, comply with local laws and content is reviewed <\/a>by automated systems and staff.<\/p>\n Google removed more than 5.1billion bad ads<\/a> and 9.1billion restricted ads last year.<\/p>\n Why would scammers use YouTube videos?<\/p>\n As tech platforms rarely reveal advertising data, most stories of phoney promos are anecdotal.<\/p>\n But experts told Metro <\/strong>several factors contribute to crummier ads.<\/p>\n Two years ago, Tom Bourlet, the head of marketing at Modern World Business Solutions<\/a>, saw ads for Japanese courses after looking at flights to Japan.<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s shown promotions for children\u2019s apps and far-flung restaurants as well as \u2018terrible\u2019 AI-generated<\/a> ads.<\/p>\n Bourlet said: \u2018They\u2019re rushed together and are very obviously containing AI characters <\/a>with too many fingers and a confusing dialogue.\u2019<\/p>\n Tech platforms\u00a0are being pushed to generate revenue wherever possible, including, Bourlet said, selling ad space.<\/p>\n He added: \u2018You\u2019re trusting them to always have your business interests as their core focus, when their own revenue is the most important.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Dr Yusuf Oc<\/a>, associate professor at Bayes Business School in London, has also seen low-grade adverts during his research into AI.<\/p>\n He told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018One of the more concerning ads I came across recently promoted an AI tool that lets you create digital avatars of people using just a photo.<\/p>\n \u2018The ad made it sound like you could generate an AI version of someone without any real discussion of consent or safeguards.<\/p>\n \u2018It highlights how quickly ads for sensitive or ethically grey technologies can appear in your feed if the algorithm thinks you\u2019re interested.\u2019<\/p>\n Dr Oc added that if tech platforms take responsibility, strengthen vetting processes and train employees in cybersecurity, ad quality will increase.<\/p>\n Hone John Tito, the co-founder of the video game server provider Game Host Bros, said he worries ad quality is also impacting advertisers.<\/p>\n \t\t He said: \u2018YouTube runs advertisements for \u201cFree Minecraft<\/a> Servers\u201d or \u201c100 Hours Uptime for $1\u201d right next to our content. These are scams.\u2019<\/p>\n Scammers are turning to social media adverts to lure users into handing over their data, a scam called \u2018malvertising\u2019, Marijus Briedis, the chief technology officer at\u00a0NordVPN<\/a>, told Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Briedis said: \u2018Instead of sending you obvious spam emails, scammers pay for or hijack advertising slots and then direct people off the platform to look-alike websites.<\/p>\n These knock-off websites may ask victims to sign in with their Google or Microsoft accounts or pay a \u2018verification charge\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The moment you do that, they can steal your credentials, infect your machine or both,\u2019 added Briedis.<\/p>\n For Bruce, however, there\u2019s only so much he can do while trying to find a video to watch while cooking.<\/p>\n \u2018This will be the downfall of YouTube as a platform,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n Google has been approached for comment. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\tHow to report ads on YouTube\t\t\t<\/p>\n To report a YouTube ad, people can click More<\/strong>\/Info <\/strong>then select Report ad<\/strong>.<\/p>\n People can stop seeing an ad <\/a>by selecting\u00a0More\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Info<\/strong> and then clicking Block ad<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow \t\t\tComments \t\t\t\tAdd as preferred source \t\t\t\tNews Updates<\/p>\n Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522005-4085.jpg\")
\n\t\tAn advert for a lawn service included a pornographic image <\/strong>(Picture: X\/YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522094-9afe.jpg\")
\n\t\tOne not-safe-for-work ad was for a blind services (Picture: X\/YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522013-6482.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe ad for the toy robot dog included AI-generated images (Picture: X\/YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522014-1d9b.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe ad says the Swedish government is offering cheques (Picture: YouTube\/X)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522015-2cd5.jpg\")
\n\t\tThis ad says it was \u2018approved\u2019 by the Swedish government (Picture: X\/YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_276522101-10a1.jpg\")
\n\t\tSome of the promotions Metro saw peddled health benefits (Picture: X\/YouTube)<\/p>\n![\"Toronto,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_234626411-287d.jpg\")
\n\t\tSocial media has led to many new types of ads (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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