Bank Leumi vs. Meta: 26.6 million NIS lawsuit over fraudulent ads
Bank Leumi has filed a 26.6 million NIS lawsuit against Meta in the Tel Aviv District Court, alleging the systematic distribution of fraudulent ads on Facebook and Instagram that impersonate the bank.
Bank Leumi filed a lawsuit yesterday for 26.6 million NIS in the Tel Aviv District Court against the technology giant Meta, claiming that the company allows the systematic distribution of sponsored fraudulent advertisements impersonating the bank on Facebook and Instagram.
According to the statement of claim, Meta approves and promotes false ads in exchange for payment, while turning a blind eye to suspicious signs and failing to operate proper filtering and control mechanisms before content goes live. The bank asserts that these sponsored ads include unauthorized use of its name and trademarks, offering false benefits—such as shopping vouchers or car raffles—to lure users into providing access details and verification codes. These details were subsequently used by attackers to infiltrate bank accounts and withdraw funds.
The claim notes that signs of fraud were prominent, including clumsy phrasing, links to distorted website addresses, and posts from anonymous accounts that were not verified bank pages.
The bank details the following damages in its lawsuit:
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3.9 million NIS for the reimbursement of funds to affected customers.
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17.7 million NIS for costs of handling, monitoring, investigation, and allocation of technological resources.
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5 million NIS for reputational damage.
The bank highlights an escalation in activity: in July, 243 cases of false advertising were identified—more than the total number of cases identified in the entire first half of 2026. In the first two weeks of August alone, customers suffered 590,000 NIS in damages, in addition to 9.2 million NIS in prevented losses.
Beyond financial compensation, the lawsuit demands that the court issue permanent injunctions against Meta, including:
Requiring Meta to perform a preliminary identity verification for every advertiser, applying strict conditions to financial ads, marking ads from unverified accounts with a clear warning, and granting the bank access to pre-screen ads bearing its name.
