Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, according to a new report from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The agency reports that losses from social media scams have increased eightfold, and that social media scams resulted in higher losses than any other method scammers used to contact consumers.
Nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to scams said the schemes began on social media. More people reported losing money to scams that originated on Facebook than on any other social media platform, with WhatsApp and Instagram ranking a distant second and third. Additionally, people reported losing far more money to scams on Facebook alone than they reported losing to text or email scams.
FTC’s data shows that social media scams take many forms, including shopping scams, which were the most reported type of social media scam last year. Over 40% of people who lost money to social media scams said they ordered an item they saw in an ad, ranging from clothing and cosmetics to car parts and even puppies. Many of these ads led to unfamiliar websites, while others sent people to fake sites for well-known brands that claimed to offer big discounts.
Another common type of social media scam involves investment schemes that begin with ads or posts offering to teach people how to invest. Other scammers pose as friendly advisors or create WhatsApp groups filled with fake testimonials. These types of investment scams led to $1.1 billion in losses.
Additionally, nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it started on a social media platform. Scammers often tailor their pitch to match a person’s profile and later invent a crisis that requires money. Or, they casually offer investment advice to lure them onto a fake investment platform.
The FTC advises that users can protect themselves from social media scams by limiting who can see their posts and contacts, never allowing someone they met online to direct their investment decisions, and carefully vetting products before making a purchase by researching the company and searching the name alongside the terms “scam” or “complaint.”
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