US regulators say people lost more money to scams committed using social media than any other method last year.
New data based on reports filed with the FTC show that in 2025, nearly 30% of people who lost money to a scam said the scheme started on social media.
Losses reached $2.1 billion, representing an eight-fold increase since 2020. The amount is likely higher since most scams go unreported.
Federal Trade Commission He says Social media makes it easier to reach billions of people around the world, making it easier for fraudsters to carry out their schemes at very little cost.
“Scammers may hijack a user’s account, exploit what a user posts to learn how to target them, or buy ads and use the same tools real companies use to target people by age, interests, or shopping habits.”
Victims lost more money to scams that started on Facebook, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. People also lost more money on Facebook than through text messages or scam emails.
The largest losses resulted from investment scams, which drained $1.1 billion, or more than half of the money reported missing.
Meanwhile, shopping scams were the most reported fraudulent schemes on social media, with more than 40% of people who lost money reporting ordering things like clothes, car parts and even puppies through the platform.
Bad actors also use social media to carry out romance scams. The report says that nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to this type of fraud said it started on a social media platform.
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