Safety

Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams last year, 8 times more than in 2020. Facebook alone cost users more than texts and emails combined

Social media fraud losses exploded 8x to $2.1B in 2025, with Meta's advertising and messaging infrastructure becoming the primary vector—Facebook alone responsible for $794M.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: Fortune AIBY sys://pipeline

Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025—eight times more than in 2020—according to FTC data. Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) account for the majority of these losses, with Facebook alone responsible for $794 million. The surge reflects widespread fraud exploiting social media advertising and messaging features.

Read original at Fortune AI

Consumers lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, FTC reports

Social media scams inflicted $2.1 billion in consumer losses in 2025—an eightfold surge that makes platforms like Facebook the leading fraud vector, surpassing all other contact methods.