{
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "id": "ftc-social-media-scams-2-1-billion-losses-2025",
  "slug": "ftc-social-media-scams-2-1-billion-losses-2025",
  "url": "https://groundedkit.com/claims/ftc-social-media-scams-2-1-billion-losses-2025/",
  "api_url": "https://groundedkit.com/api/claims/ftc-social-media-scams-2-1-billion-losses-2025.json",
  "claim": "Americans reported losing $2.1 billion to scams that started on social media in 2025, the costliest contact method (FTC)",
  "commonly_cited_as": "\"How much do people lose to social media scams?\"",
  "verdict": "verified",
  "verdict_definition": "Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.",
  "confidence": "high",
  "rating": {
    "value": 5,
    "best": 5,
    "worst": 1
  },
  "origin": {
    "publisher": "Federal Trade Commission",
    "title": "New FTC Data Show People Have Lost Billions to Social Media Scams (Apr. 27, 2026)",
    "year": "2026"
  },
  "quote": "New data from the Federal Trade Commission show that, in 2025, nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to a scam said that it started on social media, with reported losses reaching a staggering $2.1 billion.",
  "method": "FTC Consumer Sentinel reports filed by consumers; only reported losses, so true losses are higher.",
  "drift": [
    "Scope: reported losses only; most fraud is never reported"
  ],
  "interest": "n/a (federal agency).",
  "safe_rephrasing": "The FTC said reported losses to scams that began on social media reached $2.1 billion in 2025, more than any other contact method; shopping scams from social ads were the most reported type.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "FTC press release, Apr. 27, 2026",
      "url": "https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/new-ftc-data-show-people-have-lost-billions-social-media-scams",
      "primary": true
    }
  ],
  "kind": "reference_fact",
  "as_of": "Calendar year 2025 reports; published Apr. 27, 2026",
  "last_checked": "2026-10-16",
  "stale": false,
  "date_reviewed": "2026-10-16",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}