Instagram scam: ‘I spent £1,200 on clothes for my son that never arrived’

Guardian investigation reveals the human stories behind the scams on Meta's social media platforms

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Mel was duped by an Instagram scam in April this year, spending 1,200 on clothes that never arrived after seeing a fraudulent advert, served up by an algorithm after she had searched for suits online.

While scrolling through the photo-sharing app, which she had recently signed up for in order to view her children's posts, she saw an advert for a closing down sale at Charles Tyrwhitt.