Executive Summary

“This is why Grandmother Mary Johnson got her concealed carry permit online.”

“Iranian sleeper cells are active in the US right now.”

“VETERANS: New legislation lets you get your concealed carry permit online in minutes!”

These phrases are a few of the slogans used in thousands of scam advertisements purchased on Meta platforms over the last year.[1] These ads, which mostly encourage users to apply for a nonexistent ‘national concealed carry permit,’ have reached millions of users. In some cases, they use AI-generated imagery and audio cloning to impersonate law enforcement officers, celebrities and elected officials. All likely violate Meta’s policies on scams and deceptive business practices.[2]

Analysts identified more than 20 pages that have collectively run more than $3.1 million on scam advertisements promoting concealed carry permits on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram. In one instance, at least 10 of those pages also appear to operate as a single network in violation of Meta’s policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior.[3] Together, the ads—particularly their use of generative AI—represent the latest iteration of dubious gun- and permit-related advertising on the platform.[4]

The ads often target senior citizens and veterans, two demographics that studies show are particularly vulnerable to scams, and do so using appeals to patriotism and veterans’ service, as well as stoking fear about geopolitical tensions, terrorist activity and the risk of home invasions. The proliferation of scam advertisements on Meta platforms presents a consistent moderation failure and concern: reports indicate the company earned 10 percent of its revenue ($16 billion) in 2024 from “scams and banned goods.”[5] Despite a renewed commitment from the company earlier this year to crack down on such ads, this ISD Investigation shows how scam networks continue to operate and evolve on Meta platforms.[6]

Key Findings

• Analysts found more than $3.1 million worth of ads urging Meta users to purchase a nonexistent concealed carry permit, with at least 24.8 million impressions in total. The ads violate Meta’s policies against scams, fraud and deceptive business practices.
• ISD identified two networks involved in promoting the ads. In one instance, ISD sourced at least 10 pages likely operating as a single network, presenting another violation of Meta’s policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior.
• Scam ads often made use of AI-generated videos of law enforcement and prominent national security officials, as well as President Trump, and routinely targeted veterans and senior citizens. Such advertisements prey on the financial health of vulnerable groups and individual users while exploiting public trust in law enforcement and personal safety anxieties.
• Ads across accounts likely violate various Meta policies and demonstrate inconsistencies in their enforcement. The case studies below present violations of Meta’s policies, including prohibitions against scams and other deceptive business practices, the labeling of AI in ads that deal with social issues or politics and the prohibition on coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Analysis

From July-September 2026, ISD searched Meta’s Ad Library for mentions of concealed carry permits and found 22 pages promoting scam permits. Using a combination of publicly available Meta data and OSINT methods, ISD identified two sets of pages that appear to be operating as networks. The networks were grouped based on the limited disclaimer data provided to Meta by the advertisers.

The first network (herein described as Network One) comprises two Facebook pages that together are the single largest purchaser of scam ads included in the study. Both pages were found to be using the same advertising disclaimer. Since January 2026, Network One has spent more than $1.5 million in ads across the two pages: the ‘National Carry Association’ and ‘Dale Williams,’ a user who has made only two pro-gun posts and features a likely AI-generated selfie as a profile picture.[7] The latter began running ads buys in April 2026. Both pages share ads claiming the existence of a “new 2026 law” or a “new 2026 Concealed Carry Bill [that] has expanded access nationwide—with major updates for eligible Americans.” No such law exists. Together, the ads shared via the pages generated at least 19.9 million impressions.

Page Name	Disclaimer	Total Ads	Total Spend (USD)	Total Impressions (Lower Bound)	Total Impressions (Upper Bound)	Page Created	First Ad Created
Dale Williams	4936 Ventures	170	1,067,971	10,250,000	11,522,568	4/16/26	4/19/26
National Carry Association	4936 Ventures	184	506,218	8,692,800	9,662,920	1/12/26	1/15/26

*Given the nature of Meta’s reported data, all numbers should be considered estimates.

The second network (herein described as Network Two) includes at least 10 additional pages that feature different disclaimers but operate in a similar manner (more below). Network Two spent more than $306,000 on ads from July 2025 to August 2026. The pages themselves were created between 2014 to 2026.

Per data from Meta’s Ad Library gathered as of September 2, ISD found 170 ads worth more than $1 million purchased through ‘Dale Williams.’ Of the ads purchased, Meta ultimately removed nearly all for violating advertising standards. However, the Meta Ad Library shows a wide range in the platform’s response time to policy violations. Removal times for ads run by ‘Dale Williams’ ranged from less than one hour to at least 13 days. Despite the removals, the page remains active and, as of September 2, has at least two active ads, which have thus far generated approximately 100,000 impressions. The entity also purchased $506,218 in ads through the ‘National Carry Association’ page. Of those ads, at least 104 of about 184 were removed, and no ads were active at the time of writing.

Advertisers who purchase campaigns on Meta platforms are required to include disclaimers with accurate information about the entity or person responsible for the ad. Despite claiming to be funded by different entities across six states, the pages in Network Two show several signs of being run by the same entity:

• The domains connected to each ad redirect to an apparently identical scam page. The URLs attached to the ads shared via these Facebook pages redirect to a page detailing how to save on auto insurance.
• The domains were created in batches and share the same IP address, domain registrar and hosting company. Three domains were created on September 11, 2025. Six were created on January 28, 2026.
• All disclaimers claimed addresses tied to WeWork locations in five cities. A single building in Chicago, for example, is listed as the location for three
• Disclaimers contained overlapping information. In addition to the overlapping addresses, two entities claim to operate under different names and states registered under the same email address. One of those entities also shares a phone number with a third entity.
• All pages shared ads of a similar kind. Nearly all of the ads purchased by these entities concern permits for concealed carry, including promoting the nonexistent national permit and accompanying legislation alleged to have been signed by President Trump.

Page Name	Disclaimer	Total Ads	Total Spend (USD)	Total Impressions (Lower Bound)	Total Impressions (Upper Bound)	Page Created	First Ad Created
Safeguard Citizen Network	Community Support Circle	800	3,168	83,200	410,800	Data Not Available	March 4, 2026
National CCW Permit Hub	National Carry Resource Group	350	1,126	11,100	134,550	February 24, 2026	March 3, 2026
Freedom Carry	Permit Choice Info Center	877	29,125	488,300	1,159,223	July 14, 2025	July 19, 2025
Statewide Permits	Community Access Space	606	76,482	1,217,900	1,639,362	October 1, 2019	February 11, 2026
Patriot Permit	Peace Travels Permit Page	1,288	43,581	827,900	1,568,505	November 14, 2025	November 18, 2025
Carry Policy Update	Current Info Corner	468	4,590	38,400	251,523	December 7, 2017	February 26, 2026
US Permit Registry	Record Access Context	490	82,056	1,543,400	2,136,107	March 5, 2017	March 24, 2026
Amendment Ready	Amendment Resource Network	8,700	27,371	430,200	2,347,836	February 27, 2023	October 24, 2026
Armory Access	Armory Info Center	11,929	18,334	92,800	2,053,408	June 5, 2024	November 2, 2025
Safety Education Hub	Safety Education Resource Services	1,039	20,368	352,700	1,002,461	March 23, 2026	April 12, 2026

*Given the nature of Meta’s reported data, all numbers should be considered estimates.

Tactics

Networks included in this study employ a range of tactics to exploit users and mask their coordinated nature, including:

• Linking to external domains purchased in batches at the same time
• Likely purchasing pre-existing accounts verified to run ads
• Employing similar manipulation tactics, including the use of AI-generated content of law enforcement, celebrities and government officials, like President Trump
• Messaging on similar topics, including geopolitical tensions, veterans’ service, seniors’ personal safety concerns, and general appeals to patriotism

One style of ad used by both pages in Network One features an apparently AI-generated man in a sheriff’s uniform praising a nonexistent law passed by President Trump (described as “the most historic bill ever”) that allows anyone born before 2005 (“especially seniors”) to obtain a concealed carry permit accepted in all 50 states. These ads typically redirect to non-government websites offering to sell users concealed carry permits or help check their eligibility for one. One version of the ad demonstrates a throughline across pages: the inconsistent application of Meta’s required disclosure of AI-generated content in ads relating to social issues or politics. The example below ran for 16 days, generating at least 200,000 impressions at a cost of more than $10,000.[8]

Both pages also used AI-generated videos of prominent political figures to encourage or frighten users into applying for concealed carry permits. The ‘National Carry Association’ page used generative AI to create a video of President Trump touting the nonexistent concealed carry law during his April 26 appearance on 60 Minutes. At least three instances of the ad generated more than 1.5 million impressions.[9]

Network Two includes at least three pages, initially created in 2017 and 2023, that were renamed and likely purchased and repurposed to disseminate ads. Across these pages, Network Two deploys similar fearmongering tactics aimed at encouraging users to obtain a similarly nonexistent concealed carry permit.

In Network Two, multiple ads use an AI-generated President Trump (in some cases just a recreation of the president’s voice) to encourage seniors to obtain permits. For example, in an ad shared via the page ‘Armory Access,’ an AI-generated Trump says: “We’re offering concealed carry permits for seniors. That’s right, seniors—the smartest people, by the way. 100% online. Legal in all 50 states.” The voice, shared without an AI disclosure, then cites rising crime as a reason to obtain the permit.[10] Analysts also sourced ads featuring AI-generated videos of other prominent figures, including US House Speaker Mike Johnson,[11] now-former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt,[12] and a manipulated clip from President Trump’s November 2025 press conference with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.[13]

Senior citizens are frequently targeted in such ads. In one AI-generated ad shared via the page ‘Safety Education Hub’ (Network Two), actor Robert De Niro touts the benefits of the fictional concealed carry permit bill during a conversation on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “You can apply for concealed carry permits 100% online for seniors,” the digitally manipulated De Niro said.[14] The page ‘Patriot Permit’ similarly uses an ad warning, “SENIORS ALERT: You’re 3X more likely to be targeted by home invaders,” before promoting a concealed carry permit that can allegedly be obtained online in just five minutes. The ad says that “thousands of seniors are now legally armed.”[15]

Veterans are another frequent target. An ad run through the page ‘Statewide Permits,’ for example, promises veterans an “expedited fast-track” to a new concealed carry permit scheme.[16] The page ‘US Permit Registry’ features another example of an AI-generated video of President Trump, in which he claims to have passed “a new reciprocity bill allowing veterans to get their CCW [concealed carry weapon] permits 100% online without any of the usual requirements.”[17] In the ad, the AI-generated Trump claims the April 2026 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner prompted passage of the bill. The page ‘Amendment Ready,’ which has boosted 8,700 ads, describes the permit as “The Veteran Benefit Anti-Gun Lobbyists Want Buried.”[18]

The targeting of senior citizens and veterans presents a significant concern: both are vulnerable demographics and among the most targeted by financial scammers.[19] In 2024, a Federal Trade Commission report found that people aged 60+ accounted for 36 percent of all reported fraud cases and 42.18 percent of all losses, totaling more than $2.3 billion.[20] The same report found that 78,913 veterans reported $419 million in fraud losses, with a median total of $700.[21]

Moderation

These ads and the accounts that run them present at least one violation across three separate areas of Meta’s community standards governing fraud and deceptive practices, coordinated inauthentic behavior and undisclosed AI use in political ads.[1]

Meta policies against inauthentic behavior explicitly ban accounts that “deceive Meta or our users about the identity, or origin of an audience or the entity that they represent.”[22] The ads also likely violate Meta’s advertisement policies on fraud, scams and deceptive practices, which explicitly says it will remove content and protect users “by removing content and combating behavior that purposefully employs deceptive means – such as willful misrepresentation, stolen information and exaggerated claims.”[23] Meta also requires ads that concern social issues, elections or politics to disclose the use of generative AI.[24]

Meta also moderated these ads and accounts inconsistently. For example, the ‘Dale Williams’ account in Network One shared a video ad including an AI-generated clip featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who says that guns are “evil” and that all concealed carry permits will be taken away this year. The ad then cuts to an apparently AI-generated man who encourages viewers to obtain a concealed carry permit, warning that there are “thousands of Iranian cells in our country waiting to strike.”[25] The account ran a version of the ad at least nine times. Before their removal, the ads, which were purchased for a total of between $900-11,000, ran a combined 10 days, earning between 15,000 and 21,000 views. The unremoved ads, purchased for an amount totaling between $11,200-13,000, ran for at least 25 days, garnering between 211,000 and 245,000 views.

Network Two also demonstrates similar inconsistencies in Meta’s moderation policies. For example, as of September 2, Meta removed the page ‘Safeguard Citizen Network’ for violating advertising standards. All other pages in Network Two, even those that had dozens of ads flagged and removed for possible violations, remained active as of September 2. Analysts also identified one near-identical ad (see Figure 5) that ran across at least five of the pages: the ad features a large gold badge that reads, “Concealed Carry Weapon Permit.”[26] In one instance, more than 2,800 versions of the ad ran on the page ‘Armory Access.’ The ads were disabled because the page violated advertising standards, in some cases within hours. However, versions of the ad went unflagged across other pages, including ‘Armory Access’ itself, which remains an active Facebook page.[27]

Conclusion

This ISD study demonstrates an active and clear threat to consumer safety on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram). Meta’s moderation failures present real-world financial risk and harm to affected users, particularly senior citizens and military veterans. Additionally, significant ongoing spending indicates that the scam continues to be effective.

As technology develops, so do the capabilities of scammers. Together, these ads demonstrate how generative AI can be used to exploit fears about personal safety, public trust in elected officials and law enforcement, and to spread falsehoods. Not only do scam concealed carry ads remain active on Meta, but pages that previously promoted them have also pivoted to new scams. For example, the page ‘American Benefits Digest’ (Network Two) pushed ads urging seniors to click a video to check their eligibility for free, nondescript gift cards. One version of the ad reached more than 1 million users.[28]

Inconsistencies in Meta’s moderation of these advertisements demonstrate the need to strengthen verification and adopt more proactive moderation practices, including at both the account and advertiser levels, to prevent repeat offenders. Meta might also consider strengthening its policies and focusing more closely on vulnerable users and high-risk topics, including guns, public health and apps that enable tech-facilitated gender-based violence.[29]

Meta’s inability to consistently and effectively curb the spread of such scams, and to evolve with them, presents risks now and in the immediate future.

Appendix

All pages identified in ISD’s study:

Page Name	Disclaimer	Number of Ads	Total Spend (USD)	Total Impressions (Lower Bound)	Total Impressions (Upper Bound)	Page Created	First Ad Created
Safeguard Citizen Network	Community Support Circle	800	3,168	83,200	410,800	Data Not Available	March 4, 2026
National CCW Permit Hub	National Carry Resource Group	350	1,126	11,100	134,550	February 24, 2026	March 3, 2026
Freedom Carry	Permit Choice Info Center	877	29,125	488,300	1,159,223	July 14, 2025	July 19, 2025
Statewide Permits	Community Access Space	606	76,482	1,217,900	1,639,362	October 1, 2019	February 11, 2026
Patriot Permit	Peace Travels Permit Page	1,288	43,581	827,900	1,568,505	November 14, 2025	November 18, 2025
Carry Policy Update	Current Info Corner	468	4,590	38,400	251,523	December 7, 2017	February 26, 2026
US Permit Registry	Record Access Context	490	82,056	1,543,400	2,136,107	March 5, 2017	March 24, 2026
Amendment Ready	Amendment Resource Network	8,700	27,371	430,200	2,347,836	February 27, 2023	October 24, 2026
Armory Access	Armory Info Center	11,929	18,334	92,800	2,053,408	June 5, 2024	November 2, 2025
Online CCW Permit	OCP Resource Assistance	2,716	43,252	798,600	2,022,784	July 30, 2025	August 8, 2025
Safety Education Hub	Safety Education Resource Services	1,039	20,368	352,700	1,002,461	March 23, 2026	April 12, 2026
Dale Williams	4936 Ventures	170	1,067,971	10,250,000	11,522,568	April 16, 2026	April 19, 2026
National Carry Association	4936 Ventures	184	506,218	8,692,800	9,662,920	January 12, 2026	January 15, 2026
Quick Carry USA	LAL Strategy LLC	360	427,020	10,316,600	11,741,843	August 11, 2025	August 16, 2025
American Benefits Digest	Equal American Benefits Group	300	395,433	129,300	389,302	November 27, 2024	January 30, 2026
Tactical Gears Now	None listed	4	220	8,100	10,000	August 26, 2022	February 19, 2026
Secure Your Permit	None listed	6	<100	<100	<600	October 14, 2020	March 4, 2026
Statewide Permit	None listed	27	1,292	16,800	39,999	October 3, 2023	March 25, 2026
Perfect Health	None Listed	11	<100	1,000	2,000	August 18, 2018	March 21, 2026
Civic Relief	Civic Relief Today	3,217	352,404	3,472,900	5,108,410	September 22, 2022	February 6, 2026
Get Permit Fast	None listed	15	<100	<100	<1100	September 2, 2022	February 19, 2026
Instant Concealed Carry	None listed	6	5,500	133,000	149,000	July 21, 2022	March 20, 2026

Totals are estimates based on Meta’s publicly available data and likely do not account for ads that are active at the time of writing.

End Notes

[1] See: “Prohibited Commercial Practices,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 28, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/prohibited-commercial-practices/; “Inauthentic Behavior: Policy Details, ” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 1, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/inauthentic-behavior/; “Ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 2, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/SIEP-advertising/SIEP/.

[1] Examples of the above ads may be found here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1253732056917113; https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=979375741755991; https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1793185225399619.

[2] “Prohibited Commercial Practices,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 28, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/prohibited-commercial-practices/.

[3] “Inauthentic Behavior: Policy Details, ” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 1, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/inauthentic-behavior/.

[4] See, for example: Issie Lapowsky, “Obscure Concealed-Carry Group Spent Millions on Facebook Political Ads, ” WIRED, November 19, 2018, https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-ads-political-concealed-online/; Nick Allen, “Facebook criticised for allowing promotion of ‘legal loophole’ in US gun laws,” The Telegraph, February 10, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/10/facebook-criticised-promoting-legal-loophole-us-gun-ownership/; “US ads misleadingly suggest quick path to a concealed carry license, “AFP USA, April 22, 2022, https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.328M84R.

[5] Jeff Horwitz, “Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show,” Reuters, November 6, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/.

[6] “Fighting Scammers and Protecting People With New Technology and Partnerships,” Meta Newsroom, March 11, 2026, https://about.fb.com/news/2026/03/fighting-scammers-protecting-people-with-new-technology-and-partnerships/.

[7] The accounts can be found here (National Carry Association: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586447883501) and here (Dale Williams: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570991675426).

[8] An example of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=838527215931422.

[9] The version of the ad that generated the highest number of impressions may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1368903715293808.

[10] See one instance of the ad here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1024647680214966.

[11] An example of an AI-generated ad featuring Speaker Johnson: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=4116859255248521.

[12] An example of an AI-generated ad featuring Press Secretary Leavitt: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1312383257172986.

[13] Example of an AI-generated ad featuring President Trump and Mayor Mamdani: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1754964512131952.

[14] An example of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=898922286537589.

[15] One version of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1633425704482765.

[16] An example of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1262291042447433.

[17] An example of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1678878693168738.

[18] An example of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1072861662586462.

[19] For more, see: Katherine Plummer, “27% of Veterans Have Lost Money To Cyber Scams Offering Fake Benefits,” Military Times, August 21, 2026, https://www.military.com/27-of-veterans-have-lost-money-to-cyber-scams-offering-fake-benefits;  “Scams Targeting Older Adults,” FDIC Consumer News, July 2025, https://www.fdic.gov/consumer-resource-center/2025-07/scams-targeting-older-adults.

[20] Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024, Federal Trade Commission, March 2025, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/csn-annual-data-book-2024.pdf, pg. 13.

[21] Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024, Federal Trade Commission, March 2025, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/csn-annual-data-book-2024.pdf, pg. 17.

[22] “Inauthentic Behavior: Policy Details,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 2, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/inauthentic-behavior/.

[23] “Fraud, Scams, and Deceptive Practices,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 2, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/fraud-and-scams/.

[24] “Ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics,” Meta Transparency Center, accessed September 2, 2026, https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/SIEP-advertising/SIEP/.

[25] One instance of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1793185225399619.

[26] Versions of the ad can be found via “Freedom Carry ” (https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=891836123835351), “Safety Education Hub” (https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2457215314708983), “Online CCW Permit” (https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1605540250366129), “Armory Access ” (https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=904702622065395), and “Carry Policy Update” (https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1302411141798493).

[27] For versions of the ads not removed as of September 2, see here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=886177650993188.

[28] A version of the ad may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=652624490505586.

[29] For more on this topic, see: “Mapping the ‘Nudify’ Tools Ecosystem,” Institute for Strategic Dialogue, July 13, 2026, https://www.isdglobal.org/publication/mapping-the-nudify-tools-ecosystem/.