A fraud report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that over $4 million was lost to social networking scams nationwide in the first and second quarters of 2025.
Over the course of six months, almost 6,000 reports of social networking scams have been produced, making it one of the most common types of scams. Each report reported an average of $696 losses, which led to Florida 164% above this national average.
Florida was $684,909 stolen in 373 reports, with a loss per report of $1,836.
Social networking scammers can find that using social media platforms to steal money and personal information via DMS containing phishing links. These fake profiles seek money while pretending to be friends or serving fake giveaways or competitions.
Recently, Discord scammers promoted a fake online gaming site that encourages Crypto users to deposit $100 and charge a $2,500 bonus. Over the past month, Tiktok users have also been warned about fraudulent shop domains that mimic in-app e-commerce platforms to take advantage of fake sales.
Consumers across the US reported 5,975 social networking scams between January and June this year, resulting in a total loss of $4,162,198. This is a national average per broadcast loss of $696.
Chicks Gold, a video game asset market, is disappointing security guards as browsing platforms like Tiktok, Instagram and Reddit are relaxing activities that allow scrolling to be relaxed. Scammers are trying to use this downtime to exploit users who are unaware of the common tactics used to steal personal information and funds, particularly those.
“Despite reporting social networking scams and numerous official warnings from the affected platforms themselves, it is clear that many consumers are still being fooled by scammers and are losing thousands of dollars each time.”
