Which social media platforms have the most scams? 2026 data

Facebook leads the latest FTC ranking of social media platforms by reported scam losses, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram. That’s useful information, though it doesn’t reveal how many scams exist on every app out there. According to FTC findings from 2026, $2.1 billion was lost to scams that stemmed from social media in 2025. Those are just the reported losses.

In this guide, I take a look at what the figures mean for the apps you’re on, how scams move from a post into your messages, and where Bitdefender Premium Security – a reputable all-in-one security plan – can help you recognize scams before you send your money.

What 2026 data reveals

The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel data reveal reported losses associated with social media platforms in 2025. The results are Facebook first, WhatsApp second, and Instagram third.

Those rankings report money lost, not the number of scam accounts or your chances of being targeted every time you open an app. A small overall number of investment scams could produce higher losses than thousands of unsuccessful fake giveaways.

An accompanying 2026 FTC analysis used scam reports submitted by consumers. Unreported incidents are missing, and the figures don’t show worldwide risk on each platform relative to audience size.

Simply put, you can use the ranking to find out where financial harm is concentrated. Don’t assume an app is safe just based on these rankings, though, or that every message on Facebook is suspicious.

Facebook: the highest reported losses

As you probably already know, Facebook is an expansive platform with shop ads, groups, a marketplace, and more. On Facebook, scams can affect both buyers and sellers.

A regular-looking advertisement may introduce an unreliable shop. Someone in a local group may lie about an alleged item for sale. A familiar profile may be hijacked to send a message asking for help. There are numerous ways to deliver scams via Facebook.

For example, take a Marketplace purchase. Imagine finding a reasonably priced secondhand camera located near you. The seller says that several people want it, then asks for a deposit before it can be inspected. The listing itself may be genuine, but there’s already pressure to pay before you’ve even confirmed this item exists.

As for sellers, beware of fake payment notifications crafted to persuade you to ship goods or refund money you never received. If you’re a seller, I suggest you open your payment account yourself. Don’t trust the buyer’s screenshots.

And don’t trust a long profile history either. Legitimate accounts can be hijacked by criminals, so just focus on what the person is asking you to do. Also, if a friend’s request seems strange, contact them through a different channel to confirm it’s them.

WhatsApp: second in the FTC loss ranking

WhatsApp brings the scam closer to you due to its personal-messaging nature. It gives scammers a private conversation with you where they can directly apply pressure without others questioning the story.

Investment groups are a good example: an admin presents a supposed opportunity, while other alleged members upload screenshots of profits and praise the given advice. This is a clever social engineering trick, as it can trick you into feeling this is a credible group. The CFTC warns about unsolicited investment pitches in messaging apps, including Telegram and WhatsApp groups.

Always backtrack to the source. Verify this investment provider via a relevant financial regulator. Find the contact details yourself via a Google search. And don’t forget – documents or links supplied by the group admin don’t mean it’s safe to invest.

One more WhatsApp risk I should mention is related to job offers. So-called task scams that start with a WhatsApp message entice people to complete online activities and see their earnings grow. Afterward, they’re told to deposit money to continue or withdraw their earnings. This is another socially engineered scam.

Instagram: third for reported losses

In third, we have Instagram, one of the world’s favorite social media platforms. Since there’s a ton of visual material and profiles on Instagram, impersonators also have plenty of material to copy. They can copy logos, product photos, and videos from a real business.

Here, scammers use similar tactics. For example, if you complain about an order and need help, a fake support account may contact you. Since you’re waiting for help, the timing seems believable. The account then may promise you a refund and tell you to visit a page where you’re expected to pay or put in login information. You may also try to call the seller, but most likely they won’t pick up and write back instead.

Bitdefender has a guide to Instagram impersonation scams covering fake security notices. In this case, messages may claim that your account is about to be closed over a copyright complaint. After this, messages may try to push you towards visiting a copied Instagram page.

What you can do is check account warnings within Instagram rather than trust a link in a direct message. If it’s about an order, reach out to the retailer through your order details or the official website. The real business needs to confirm that it contacted you, no matter how convincing the account seems.

What about TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms?

In terms of losses beyond Instagram in third place, there isn’t much information about where other apps like TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, and X rank. However, those highly popular and large platforms carry scams too.

On TikTok, criminals may use promotions or pursue valuable business accounts. For example, Bitdefender reported a TikTok-related business-account scam campaign in 2026. Namely, phony pages sought account credentials that could give criminals control of advertising access and audience reach.

As for YouTube, the largest online video platform in the world, a hijacked channel can promote a fraudulent livestream. Bitdefender’s research into stream-jacking revealed hijacked channels promoting cryptocurrency-doubling schemes, sometimes even with deepfake video. Whatever the platform or persona it is that hosts the video, it doesn’t make logical sense that sending cryptocurrency will double that investment.

Common scams vs the costliest scams

The FTC analyses can be interpreted in more than one way. For example, shopping scams produced the highest number of social media loss reports. Over 40% involved an item ordered after the buyer saw an ad. On the other hand, investment scams were reported less, but the reported losses reached $1.1 billion.

This tells us about the different depths scams have. A phony shop can take one payment and disappear. An investment scam can keep people engaged and keep drawing out huge amounts of money. Scammers can design a trading account to display profits or even offer a real, small withdrawal initially. This is a small price to pay for scammers to build trust with the victim. When you try to withdraw more, the account may demand another payment.

Seeing more fake shops in your own feed doesn’t equate to shopping scams causing the greatest losses. In this case, verify the organization behind these claims and its registration yourself before sending anything.

What Bitdefender researchers found during 2026

The FTC data covers 2025 reports, while research published this year shows campaigns now moving between social media and external websites. In June this year, Bitdefender Labs reported identifying over 55 fake-shop campaigns targeting 12 European countries. The criminals copied known brands and reached people via Facebook ads and WhatsApp messages. Some promotions even leveraged interest in the 2026 World Cup.

Bitdefender’s findings show how a social media scam can seep outside the platform where it began. A Facebook ad or WhatsApp message draws you in, but payment information is collected on a fraudulent shopping site.

For example, an ad might promote a discounted phone using the Apple logo. Before you pay, open the manufacturer’s official website separately and see if that same deal exists. If you only see the offer on an unfamiliar website or ad, that’s a red flag.

How to check a social media request before paying

There’s no need to scrutinize every post in your feed, unless someone’s asking you to send money, enter login details, or open a website. Be especially careful if the message creates a sense of pressure or urgency. Here are the two tips I recommend following if you want to avoid scams.

Confirm who sent the message

If you believe a friend is making a strange request, call them on the number you already have stored. Don’t interact with the account making the request, as it could be a scammer.

If a business reaches out to you, first visit its official website. Don’t click on any links in the message. Now check if the site links to that social media account. You can also reach out via the company’s official contact details.

If the explanation keeps changing, that’s a red flag. Scammers can request a deposit, then add a release fee or insurance charge. Don’t pay in situations like these. Always contact the organization independently.

Remember, strangers can read information on a public profile, and may know things about you. Someone can mention your employer or something personal about you, but that isn’t proof it’s safe. Review who can see your posts and add you to groups.

Check the website and the seller

An ad with a “sponsored” label isn’t a safety guarantee. Look for the seller outside social media spheres and read recent complaints. Check for delivery terms, contact information, and a clear returns policy.

The FTC’s online marketplace advice page recommends checking what sort of protection the marketplace provides buyers. Some help when an order doesn’t arrive, while others expect the buyer and seller to settle the issue amongst themselves. Paying outside the platform may jeopardize that protection.

Also, read the website address before you enter any information. HTTPS in the URL area of your browser shows that encryption is available, but it’s not a safety guarantee. Scam websites can also enable HTTPS, which is another way to build trust. If you can’t confirm who runs the store, avoid the situation.

Protect your login information

Your login information is gold for scammers, which is why they’ll go the extra mile to make you sign in quickly. They may send a stark message saying your account will be suspended, or on the other hand promise you a “verified” badge. Don’t use any links. Always open the real app and check if that same notice appears in your account. Follow these tips:

• Don’t reuse a password on another account
• Enable multifactor authentication on every possible account
• Never share or forward a verification code to anyone contacting you
• Enter codes only in the official website or app when you requested the code yourself

On top of that, a password manager helps keep your credentials safe, and Bitdefender Premium Security includes one. These tips can help reduce account theft. What they can’t do is guarantee that an investment, seller, or job is genuine.

Choose a secure payment method

Before you pay, check what happens if the item doesn’t arrive or is different from its description. Also check if the marketplace or payment provider has buyer protection and if your particular purchase qualifies for that.

Be very careful around gift cards the seller may insist on. This is a very common fraud. Cryptocurrency is also another way the seller may try to defraud you. Remember, these payments are difficult to reverse.

Also, don’t leave the marketplace’s secure checkout area just for a discount. Likewise, don’t pay an employer to release wages or deposit money to somehow withdraw alleged investment profits.

What to do if you already responded

Your account might not be compromised yet, depending on your actions. If you’ve sent money, entered login details, or installed something, act quickly:

• If you have sent money, contact your financial institution immediately via its official app or phone number. Explain the situation and confirm if the transaction can be blocked or reversed.
• If you shared a password, change it via the genuine service and anywhere else you reused it. Check your active sessions and quickly sign out unknown devices.
• If you installed software, remove any remote access and run a security scan via a reputable security suite, such as Bitdefender Premium Security. If you logged into your bank account on an affected device, contact your bank immediately from a clean device.

Also remember to save any messages, screenshots, receipts, account names, and transaction details before completely blocking the scammer. The FTC’s recovery advice explains what to do after different payments. Report the account in question through the platform. In the United States, report to reportfraud.ftc.gov.

If you’ve been locked out of your profile or you notice unusual profile behavior, follow the platform’s recovery instructions. Once you reset and regain access to your profile, check if the attacker changed the email address saved for that account or the phone number. Warn your contacts to ignore any messages during this period.

How Bitdefender Premium Security helps you fight social media scams

Many social media scams still start with a post or message. Afterward, you’re diverted to a phony shop, crafted login page, or a conversation elsewhere. Bitdefender Premium Security scans suspicious content and helps block malicious destinations.

This digital protection plan includes Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro together with anti-malware and device protection. This is all combined in one single subscription. Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro includes Scamio Pro. You can submit a suspicious message, link, or even a screenshot for analysis. It tells you if the content looks suspicious. This way, you’re aware of the risk before you interact.

Bitdefender’s Web Scam Protection – part of Bitdefender Premium Security – helps identify the newest scam sites and block malicious links, including links in fraudulent ads. Email Protection scans incoming emails in Gmail and Outlook, helping identify scam messages. Available features depend on your subscription and operating system. Scams can affect more than one person in a household. Bitdefender Premium Security also has a Family plan that covers 5 members plus up to 25 devices.

Try Bitdefender Premium Security

Final word

Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram lead the pack in reported social media scam losses. Meanwhile, other platforms also carry a lot of impersonation attempts, fake shops, and account-stealing messages.

No matter the app you use, research any unexpected requests deeply. Don’t give your passwords and verification codes to someone messaging or calling you, even if they claim they represent the platform.

Bitdefender Premium Security can help you stay safe and avoid getting scammed, adding a reliable layer of digital protection to the checks you’ll make yourself. Always remember to conduct your own checks before you pay or give over sensitive information.

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