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Consumers lost $794 million to scams on Facebook last year
Facebook accounted for $794 million in reported losses, while investment scams caused the biggest losses overall, the FTC said.
- American consumers lost $2.1 billion to scams on social media last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission's latest Consumer Sentinel Network report. This represents an eightfold increase from 2020 losses.
- Scammers increasingly exploit social media by hacking accounts, creating fake profiles, and purchasing ads to target users. Shopping scams proved the most reported type in 2025, affecting more than 40% of victims.
- Investment scams caused the highest losses at $1.1 billion, while romance scams cost Americans $298 million. Facebook reported $794 million in losses, followed by WhatsApp at $425 million and Instagram at $234 million.
- The Consumer Federation of America filed a class action complaint against Meta Platforms in late April, accusing the company of failing to protect consumers from scam ads. Meta claims it removed more than 159 million scam ads in 2025.
- To combat rising threats, the FTC recommends users limit who can view their social media posts and contacts. Officials also advise verifying deals before purchasing and learning to spot investment scams.
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution93% Center
Bias Distribution
- 93% of the sources are Center
93% Center
C 93%
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