Social Media Scams Cost Americans $2.1 Billion in 2025, FTC Warns
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that social media scams cost Americans $2.1 billion in 2025, with nearly 1 in 3 scam victims saying the fraud started on a social platform. Losses have grown eight-fold since 2020, with investment scams causing the biggest financial damage.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released new data showing a significant surge in fraud linked to social media platforms. In 2025, consumers reported $2.1 billion in losses due to social media scams. Nearly 30% of people who lost money to scams said the interaction began on social media, outpacing email, text, and other channels. Facebook was the platform with the most significant losses. The top three social media scams are investment scams, shopping scams, and romance scams. Investment scams caused the highest financial losses, with victims reporting around $1.1 billion in losses. The FTC recommends adjusting privacy settings, avoiding investment advice from people known only online, and researching sellers before buying to reduce the risk of falling victim to social media scams.
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