People misplaced a minimum of $2.1 billion in 2025 to scams that originated on social media, in line with the Federal Commerce Fee. That determine marks an eightfold improve since 2020.
The FTC mentioned People reported dropping $1.1 billion final yr to funding scams that began on social media. These typically started with a put up or advert providing a program that claimed to assist individuals learn to make investments. Greater than 40 p.c of People who misplaced cash via a social media rip-off final yr blamed shopping-related adverts, lots of which took them to “unfamiliar web sites,” the FTC mentioned. The company additionally highlighted the issue of romance scams that begin on social media.
Most of those scams began on Fb, with WhatsApp and Instagram in “a distant second and third,” the FTC famous. A lawsuit filed towards Meta, which owns all three platforms, final week claimed that it misled customers about rip-off adverts. In 2025, it was reported that Meta was making billions of {dollars} from adverts selling scams and unlawful merchandise.
After all, different sorts of web scams are snaring common of us. The FBI mentioned earlier this month that People reported dropping practically $21 billion to internet-related crimes in 2025, greater than half of which was to cryptocurrency scams. Synthetic intelligence scams price People round $893 million final yr, the FBI mentioned. And that is simply what individuals have reported dropping — many victims will not file complaints to the FBI or FTC.
The FTC presents some recommendation on learn how to defend your self from social media scams, equivalent to limiting the attain of your posts so scammers have much less particular data to work with and to keep away from letting “somebody you’ve got met solely on social media direct your funding choices.” The company additionally suggests looking out for a corporation’s identify together with “rip-off” or “criticism” earlier than shopping for something.
As at all times, tread cautiously, do your individual analysis and if one thing sounds too good to be true, it in all probability is. Watch out on the market, of us.
