Facebook has filed a lawsuit against New Zealand-based company Social Media Series, a site known to profit from selling fake engagement stats. 

The company alleges it provided fake followers, likes, and views to Instagram users. Facebook accuses the defendants of deliberately creating a way for users to effectively cheat the platform's engagement system.

The suit includes the company and three individuals who reportedly were responsible for the alleged scam.

Jessica Romero, director of platform enforcement and litigation at Facebook, commented on the legal action from the company in a blog post.

“By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message that this kind of fraudulent activity is not tolerated on our services, and we will act to protect the integrity of our platform," Romero wrote.

Facebook reportedly warned Social Media Series multiple times about the issue, but their warnings were not received well and the company legal action was the next step. The company has now ceased trading and its website is now closed.

This action could serve as a warning to similar sites, ones that allow users to gain traction by purchasing fake statistics.