How much money did Americans lose to social media scams in 2025?

Americans lost at least $2.1 billion in 2025 to scams that originated on social media.

What are the most common types of social media scams?

The most common types include investment scams, shopping scams that lead to unfamiliar websites, and romance scams.

Which social media platforms are most associated with scams?

Facebook is the most common platform, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram.

Home / Crime and Justice / Social Media Scams Surge: $2.1B Lost in 2025

Social Media Scams Surge: $2.1B Lost in 2025

28 Apr

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Summary

Americans lost over $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025.
Investment and shopping scams on social media saw a significant rise.
Meta platforms like Facebook are frequently implicated in these scams.

Social Media Scams Surge: $2.1B Lost in 2025

Americans experienced significant financial losses in 2025, with at least $2.1 billion falling victim to scams initiated on social media. This figure represents a dramatic eightfold increase compared to 2020.

Investment scams, often promoted through deceptive posts and ads claiming to teach investing, accounted for $1.1 billion of these losses. Shopping scams, frequently leading users to unknown websites, were blamed by over 40% of victims. Romance scams originating on social media also remain a concern.

Meta platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, were identified as the most common sources for these scams. A recent lawsuit against Meta alleges the company misled users regarding scam advertisements, potentially profiting billions from them in 2025.