Meta, previously Facebook, has been slammed with a lawsuit for allowing suspicious cryptocurrency advertising on its social media platform.

On Friday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it had instituted federal court proceedings against Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Inc.

“The ACCC alleges that this conduct was in breach of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act (ASIC Act),” the Australian regulator said in a statement. “It is also alleged that Meta aided and abetted or was knowingly concerned in false or misleading conduct and representations by the advertisers.”

The body explained that Facebook engaged in misleading behaviour by circulating scam advertisements featuring well-known Australian public figures.

The advertisements included links that took Facebook users to a fake media article containing quotes from public figures like businessman Dick Smith, television presenter David Koch, and former NSW Premier Mike Baird.

The regulator added that users had been invited to sign up and were thereafter contacted by scammers attempting to convince them to deposit funds into the fake schemes.

The company has been in the spotlight, facing multiple lawsuits for allowing fraudulent advertising on its platform. In February, Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest sued Facebook for allowing crypto scam adverts on its platform that used his character to lure victims.

Last August, a California class-action lawsuit accused the company of collaborating with swindlers by allowing adverts that harvested users’ personal information.