Related videos:
Reported losses from scams originating on social media reached $2.1 billion in 2025 in the United States, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The figure represents an eightfold increase compared to the $261 million recorded in 2020, solidifying social media as the most expensive contact method for consumers, surpassing phone calls, text messages, and emails.
"Social media facilitates access to billions of people around the world, making it easier for scammers to operate at a minimal cost," stated the FTC in its official statement.
Almost 30% of all individuals who reported losses due to fraud in 2025 indicated that the scam started on a social media platform.
Facebook was the platform where the most losses were reported, even surpassing combined scams via text message and email. WhatsApp and Instagram ranked second and third, respectively.
The FTC warns that the actual figures are likely much higher, as most victims never report the frauds to the authorities.
The three most common scams
Investment scams were the most profitable for criminals, resulting in $1.1 billion in losses, accounting for more than half of the total.
Scammers create ads, posts, or WhatsApp groups with fake testimonials from "successful investors" to lure victims into fraudulent investment platforms.
Some combine romance and investment in a tactic known as "pig butchering": they first establish an emotional connection and then provide "investment advice" to lead the victim to a fake platform.
Romantic scams caused $298 million in losses during 2025, and nearly 60% of the victims reported that the deception started on social media.
Shopping scams were the most commonly reported type in terms of the number of cases: over 40% of victims stated they placed an order after seeing an advertisement on social media, but the products either never arrived or were counterfeit.
This phenomenon affects all age groups. Everyone, except those over 80 years old, reported more losses from scams on social media than from any other method of contact in 2025.
How scammers operate
Criminals exploit social media to research their potential victims: they analyze public profiles or hack accounts to segment them by age, interests, and shopping habits, and then use paid ads to target them precisely.
This growing sophistication adds to new forms of digital fraud. One of the most recent is the fake CAPTCHA scam, which installs malicious software to steal passwords and banking information.
At the same time, the Social Security Administration warned in April about fraudulent emails impersonating the agency to steal personal information and money from its beneficiaries.
There have also been documented cases of fake lawyers operating through Facebook creating fictional immigration hearings and charging thousands of dollars for non-existent services, a scheme that particularly impacts Spanish-speaking immigrants.
The Cuban community in Miami and Florida has frequently been targeted by various forms of crime, including extortion using manipulated videos and shipping scams via WhatsApp.
What does the FTC recommend for protection?
The agency offers three specific measures to reduce risk:
Limit who can see posts and contacts on social media by adjusting privacy settings to make it more difficult for scammers.
Never allow someone you only know from social media to guide your investment decisions, and educate yourself on how to identify this type of fraud.
Verify the legitimacy of any company before making a purchase by searching for its name online along with the words "scam" or "complaint."
Those who detect a scam can report it to the FTC at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov.
The progression of losses over five years illustrates the magnitude of the problem: from $261 million in 2020 to $2.1 billion in 2025, a 700% increase that shows how social media has become the primary battleground for digital fraud in the United States.
Filed under: