The US Federal Trade Commission said that social media has become a major source of online scams in the country, with new data showing that nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to scams in 2025 said the fraud started on social platforms. According to the FTC, reported losses from social media scams reached $2.1 billion in 2025. The agency said this is an eightfold increase compared to 2020 and higher than losses from any other method used by scammers to contact people.
Facebook leads in reported losses: FTC
The FTC data shows that people reported losing more money to scams that started on Meta-owned Facebook than any other platform. WhatsApp and Instagram ranked second and third. The commission said losses from Facebook scams alone were higher than the total reported losses from text or email scams.The data also show that all age groups, with the exception of those 80 and over, reported losing more money to scams that started on social media than any other contact method. And social media ranked second after phone calls for those 80 and over.
Types of social media scams as highlighted by FTC
In a press release, the FTC highlighted three types of scams that are prominent on social media. These are:
- Investment scams: People reported losing the most amount of money last year to investment scams that originated on social media, with losses of $1.1 billion, more than half of the total amount lost to social media scams, according to FTC data. These scams often started with an ad or post offering a program to teach you how to invest. Other scammers posed as friendly advisors or created WhatsApp groups full of “successful investors” sharing fake testimonials.
shopping scams : : Shopping scams were the most reported type of social media scam last year, with more than 40% of people who lost money to a scam on social media reporting that they ordered something they saw in a social media ad—everything from clothes and makeup to car parts and even puppies. Many of these ads led to unfamiliar websites, while others sent people to sites impersonating well-known brands that claimed to offer big discounts.
- Romantic scams: Reports show romance scams also thrive on social media—nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it started on a social media platform. According to reports, scammers often tailored their pitch based on people’s profiles, later inventing a crisis requiring money or casually offering investment advice to draw them onto a fake investment platform.
FTC advises users
To help steer clear of scams on social media the FTC advises consumers to:
- Limit who can see your posts and contacts on social media. Visit your privacy settings to set some restrictions so scammers have less to work with.
- Never let someone you have met only on social media direct your investment decisions. Instead, learn more about spotting investment scams.
- Before you buy, check out the company. Search online for its name plus “scam” or “complaint.”
