Rhode Island sued Meta on Thursday over scam ads on Facebook and Instagram, according to The Verge and The Boston Globe.

Attorney General Peter Neronha filed the suit in Providence County Superior Court, the outlets reported. It is the first state to sue Meta over claims that it failed to stop fraud ads, the Globe said.

The suit says Meta made billions from scam ads while telling users it was working to protect them, The Verge and the Globe reported. Meta made about $16 billion in 2024 from ads for banned goods or ads meant to cheat people, the Globe said, citing the suit.

The suit cites Reuters reporting on leaked Meta documents, The Verge reported. Those papers said Meta earned far more from risky scam ads than it expected to pay in fines, The Verge said.

The state says Meta used user data to help scammers reach people most likely to fall for them, the Globe reported. Older adults have lost large sums to fraud ads on Meta's apps, Neronha's office said, according to the Globe.

The suit says Meta broke the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Globe reported. It seeks damages and money for victims but does not name an amount.

"As alleged, Meta knowingly exposed vulnerable users to fraud and scams, and made enormous profits in doing so," Neronha said, according to the Globe.

A Meta spokesperson said the company removed more than 159 million scam ads in the past year, the Globe reported. "We will fight this unfounded lawsuit," the spokesperson said. Meta said the attorney general refused to work with it and hired an outside law firm, the Globe reported.

The suit follows a similar one from Santa Clara County in California, the Globe said.

What we know: Rhode Island has sued Meta, saying it profits from scam ads it knows about.
What we don't: How Meta will answer the claims in court, and whether other states will join.