Individuals misplaced $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, an eightfold improve since 2020, in keeping with a report launched Monday by the Federal Commerce Fee.
Almost 30% of Individuals who reported being a sufferer of a rip-off final yr stated the rip-off originated on social media, with Fb most ceaselessly being recognized because the social media platform the place the rip-off originated, in keeping with the report. Fellow Meta-owned platforms WhatsApp and Instagram have been ranked a distant second and third, the FTC stated.
“In 2025, individuals reported shedding far more cash to scams on Fb alone than they reported shedding to textual content or e mail scams,” the fee stated.
Scams originating on Fb price customers $794 million in 2025, whereas WhatsApp and Instagram mixed for $659 million in losses.
Representatives for Meta did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
The FTC stated social media scams largely fall into three classes: funding, buying and romance. The best amount of cash — $1.1 billion — was misplaced to funding scams usually rooted in advertisements or posts providing a program to show funding methods.
Buying scams have been probably the most reported social media rip-off in 2025, with greater than 40% of social media rip-off victims reporting they bought ripped off by ordering one thing they noticed in a social media advert — “all the things from garments and make-up to automotive components and even puppies,” the Company stated.
Romance scams are additionally common on social media. Almost 60% of people that have been victimized by a romance rip-off in 2025 stated it originated on a social media platform. “Scammers usually tailor-made their pitch primarily based on individuals’s profiles, later inventing a disaster requiring cash or casually providing funding recommendation to attract them onto a pretend funding platform,” the FTC stated.
All age teams, except individuals 80 or older, reported shedding more cash to scams that started on social media than another technique of contact.
To keep away from being a sufferer of social media scams, the FTC advises shoppers to restrict who can see their posts and contacts on social media. Additionally, by no means let somebody you may have met solely on social media make your funding selections.
And earlier than shopping for one thing you have seen marketed on social media, do analysis on the corporate on the FTC.
In the event you suspect you may have been a sufferer of a rip-off try, report it to authorities, such because the FTC’s web site.