Imposter scams were the most reported fraud type in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year, leading to a record $15.9 billion in total losses, up 27% from 2024. The FTC reports that older adults are more likely to suffer high-dollar losses, while AI makes scams more sophisticated and harder to identify.
Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, an eightfold increase, according to the FTC. Social media scams resulted in higher losses than any other contact method, with nearly 30% of victims reporting schemes began on social platforms. Facebook was the leading platform, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. Shopping scams were most common (40%+ of victims), while investment scams led to $1.1 billion in losses and romance scams predominantly originated on social media.
Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, an eightfold increase, according to the FTC. Facebook was the leading platform for scam origins, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. Shopping scams were most common (40%+), while investment scams totaled $1.1 billion and romance scams predominantly started on social media.
