Americans reported losing $2.1 billion to scams that started on social media in 2025, and nearly 60% of people who lost money to a romance scam specifically said the first contact happened on a social platform, according to new data released by the Federal Trade Commission. That’s an eightfold jump in reported losses since 2020.
Key Points
- $2.1 billion in reported social media scam losses in 2025, up 8x from 2020, per the FTC’s data spotlight
- Nearly 60% of romance scam losses started on a social media platform
- Facebook generated the highest reported losses, with WhatsApp and Instagram a distant second and third
- Investment scams accounted for $1.1 billion, more than half of all social-media scam losses
- Adults 18-29 reported the highest share of losses tied to social media contact, at 40%
The FTC’s own framing is direct: “Social media creates easy access to billions of people from anywhere in the world, making a scammer’s job easier at very little cost.” The agency’s data shows the pattern isn’t random targeting — scammers tailor their approach to what’s visible on someone’s profile, then invent a crisis that requires money or casually mention an investment opportunity to move the conversation toward a fake platform.
The financial pitch tends to follow one of two well-worn scripts, according to the FTC’s own consumer guidance: about a quarter of reports describe a sudden family emergency, medical bill or legal jam that only cash can fix, while nearly one in five involve a promise that the target’s money will grow fast in crypto or another “investment” if they just send funds to get started.
What makes the social media version different from a scam that starts on a dating app is the runway. A fake relationship built through months of messages, photos and shared interests on Facebook or Instagram creates trust before any request for money ever comes up, and the FTC’s guidance notes that scammers routinely invent excuses — deployment overseas, an oil rig job, being stuck in another country — for why they can never meet in person. They also tend to ask early on that the relationship stay private, cutting off the friend or family member most likely to spot the red flags.
What to watch for
Median losses in romance scams run higher than almost any other imposter scam the FTC tracks, and the pattern the agency describes is consistent: an unusually fast emotional connection, a refusal to video chat or meet, and a request for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency before you’ve ever been in the same room. A reverse image search on a new match’s photos takes thirty seconds and catches a meaningful share of stolen-identity profiles before real money is on the line.
