In 2025, social media scams led to reported consumer losses of $2.1 billion, representing an eightfold increase since 2020, according to new data released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to scams said their incident began on a social media platform, making it the costliest method for fraud in the United States last year.
Prevalence and Platforms Involved
Facebook accounted for the highest reported losses among social media channels, surpassing all other platforms as well as text and email scams combined. WhatsApp and Instagram ranked second and third respectively, though with significantly lower reported losses. The data indicates that social media offers scammers access to billions of users worldwide at minimal cost, enabling various techniques such as hacking accounts, analyzing user posts for targeted attacks, or purchasing ads that mimic legitimate businesses.
Types of Social Media Scams
The FTC’s data highlights three major categories of social media scams in 2025:
- Investment scams: Responsible for $1.1 billion in reported losses—more than half of the total—these scams often began with ads or posts promoting investment education or presented scammers as advisors within messaging groups sharing fabricated success stories.
- Shopping scams: The most frequently reported scam type by the number of victims on social media, involving purchases of goods such as clothing, makeup, car parts, or even pets. Many ads led consumers to fraudulent websites or fake online stores impersonating reputable brands.
- Romance scams: Nearly 60% of romance scam victims traced their losses back to social media. Scammers targeted individuals by profiling their interests and relationships, then fabricated emergencies requiring money or lured victims into fake investment schemes with false advice.
Victim Demographics
Across all age groups except those aged 80 and older, social media was the top channel associated with reported scam losses. For those 80 and above, phone calls remained the leading scam contact method, with social media ranking second.
Recommendations for Consumers
The FTC advises social media users to protect themselves by limiting who can view their posts and contacts through privacy settings to reduce personal data accessible to scammers. The agency warns against following investment advice from people met solely on social media and recommends researching companies thoroughly before making purchases, including searching for complaints or scam reports online.
Consumers can learn more about avoiding scams and reporting suspected fraud at ftc.gov/scams or by submitting reports to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Why it matters
The dramatic rise in social media scams underscores the growing threat posed by digital platforms as conduits for fraud. With social media accounting for more financial losses than traditional scam methods, the FTC’s data illustrates the urgency of consumer education and robust platform policing to reduce victims and hold scammers accountable.
Background
The FTC regularly collects and analyzes data on consumer fraud to identify emerging threats and guide its enforcement and public education efforts. Social media’s rapid growth and sophisticated targeting tools have increasingly attracted scammers, who exploit users’ trust and digital interactions to perpetrate diverse fraud schemes.
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Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source: