03/10/2025

BIZ & FINANCE FRIDAY | OCT 3, 2025

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Deepfake scam ads surge on Meta platforms o Watchdog says seniors often targeted with bogus govt aid offers

Dutch warning over ‘annoying’ chatbots THE HAGUE: Dutch authorities told companies and organisations yesterday they should not rely solely on chatbots to communicate with consumers, describing their use as “one of the biggest annoyances” customers face. “Organisations that use chatbots in their services must always offer people the option to speak with a representative,” said the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) in a statement. Firms must also ensure consumers are aware they are interacting with chatbots and that the machines do not provide evasive or incorrect answers, the AP said. The watchdog voiced concern about the growing use of AI-powered chatbots and warned that regulators would be looking into stricter rules. “Chatbots are becoming the main point of contact and the path towards human content is fading,“ the AP said in a new report. Increasingly advanced chatbot technology means consumers do not know whether they are speaking to a human or a machine, the report said. After an initial unsatisfying interaction with a chatbot, consumers are often re-directed not to a human but to another chatbot, increasing frustration, said the AP. Officials are seeing a “rapid increase” in complaints about chatbots, said the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Market. – AFP Tesco lifts profit outlook on competitive prices LONDON: Britain’s largest retailer Tesco on Thursday raised its 2025/2026 profit guidance as the supermarket chain won customers with competitive prices. Group adjusted operating profit is now expected to reach between £2.9 billion (RM16.4 billion) and £3.1 billion, up from a previous forecast of £2.7 billion to £3 billion, Tesco said in a statement. Increased competition in the UK market had led Tesco in April to lower its profit guidance. “Competitive intensity remains elevated,” the company said. However, it added “a better-than-expected customer response to our actions and the benefit of an extended period of good weather have helped offset the cost of our investments.” Tesco uses lower price offers to attract customers in the face of competition, such as matching prices of German-owned discounter Aldi. “The steps we have taken to keep prices down for customers have improved our price position relative to the market,” said chief executive Ken Murphy. Net profit fell more than nine percent in its first half to £950 million from the same period a year earlier, while revenue grew 3.6% to around £36 billion. It saw double-digit growth in sales of its premium ‘Finest’ range of products. “Tesco’s broad offer to customers at all price-points is helping it to drive sustained market share gains,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown. “Competition remains fierce and household budgets are under pressure, but Tesco is well placed to continue investing in value and quality,“ he added. The company is on track to deliver £500 million of savings for its 2025/2026 financial year to help offset costs of increased higher businesses taxes and a higher minimum wage, brought in this year by the UK’s Labour government. Business have warned that these increases will raise the costs of employing people. – AFP

accounts spent over US$1 million before they were disabled or deleted, the report said. One advertiser identified by TTP – called the Relief Eligibility Centre – ran an ad on Meta platforms in April and May featuring a deepfake video of Trump falsely promising stimulus checks to Americans. The video matched a speech by Trump in the White House’s Rose Garden in early April, but TTP found that the words in the ad did not match the official transcript from the event. The ad, which directed users to a website to get a “FREE $5,000 Check from Trump”, appeared to target men and women over the age of 65 in more than 20 US states, TTP said. For years, professional fact-checkers have warned about bogus stimulus check offers circulating on social media platforms. The latest findings underscore the explosion of online fraud, with surveys showing a growing number of American adults experiencing internet scams or impersonation attacks. In August, the Federal Trade Commission reported a more than four-fold increase since 2020 in complaints from older adults who lost US$10,000 or more – sometimes their entire life savings – to scammers impersonating trusted government agencies or businesses. – AFP

moderation to target new victims,” TTP said in a report. “Meta is allowing this activity even though it prohibits scams and says it invests in scam prevention to keep users safe.” Meta did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment. TTP’s report quoted a Meta statement saying that the company would “invest in building new technical defences” as scammers “constantly evolve their tactics to try to evade detection”. According to Meta’s rules, advertisers who seek to run political ads in the United States have to undergo a special authorisation process, which involves submitting an official ID such as a driver’s license along with a US mailing address. TTP said all of the 63 scam advertisers million who accounted for over 150,600 political ads million had their advertisements removed by Meta within the past 12 months for violating the tech giant’s policies. Still, nearly half of them continued to advertise as of Tuesday. Meta appeared to disable 35 ad accounts, but only after they ran dozens million and in some cases hundreds million of ads. Six of the

WASHINGTON: Scammers are among the top political ad spenders on Meta’s platforms, using deepfake videos of American politicians – including President Donald Trump – to promote fake government benefits, a watchdog group said Wednesday. The nonprofit Tech Transparency Project said it identified 63 scam advertisers that collectively spent US$49 million (RM206 million) on Facebook and Instagram, often targeting seniors with ads promoting fake stimulus checks, government spending cards and healthcare payments. The ads have reached tens of thousands of the platforms’ users. “The findings show how scammers are taking advantage of advances in artificial intelligence technology, public confusion around the status of social safety net programmes, and lax Meta content

The Shein logo outside its office in the southern China city of Guangzhou. – AFPPIC

Shein plans first permanent stores in France, sparking backlash

PARIS: Online fast-fashion retailer Shein will open its first permanent stores in France in November under an agreement with department store owner Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), a move that sparked criticism from French retailers. The “shop-in-shops” in the BHV department store in central Paris and Galeries Lafayette department stores in five provincial cities, mark a new step for Shein which has up to now only hosted temporary pop-up shops around the world mainly aimed at marketing. SGM president Frédéric Merlin said the launch would attract a younger clientele to its

of fashion retail association Fédération Francaise du Pret-a-Porter, said in a statement. French retailers were already struggling to compete with Zara and H&M when Shein launched, drawing cash-strapped consumers in with its permanent discounts and addictive app. Several French fast-fashion retailers such as Jennyfer and NafNaf went into insolvency proceedings earlier this year. Shein’s first store, on the sixth floor of the BHV, will open in early November, with later openings planned in Galeries Lafayette department stores in Dijon, Grenoble, Reims, Limoges, and Angers. – Reuters

department stores, adding that the same customer might buy a Shein item and a designer handbag on the same day. Shein, which sells €12 dresses and €20 jeans, faces pressure from other retailers, politicians and regulators in France, where lawmakers have backed a draft law regulating fast fashion that would, if implemented, ban Shein from advertising. “In front of the Paris City Hall, they are creating the new Shein megastore, which – after destroying dozens of French brands – aims to flood our market even more massively with disposable products,”Yann Rivoallan, head