Social Media Scams Cost Tampa Bay Area Over $90 Million in 2025, FTC Reports
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that social media scams led to over $90 million in losses in the Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) area in 2025. Nearly 30% of reported scam losses originated on social media, an eightfold increase since 2020.…
Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, August 11, 2026 —
Tampa, FL – Social media platforms were the source of more than $90 million in reported scam losses in the Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) area during 2025, according to a recent report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The data indicates a significant surge in fraudulent activities originating online, with nearly 30% of all reported scam losses in the region traced back to social media. This represents an eightfold increase compared to figures reported in 2020.
Among the social media platforms, Facebook was most frequently linked to these financial losses. WhatsApp and Instagram followed as the next most common platforms associated with scams. The FTC did not provide specific loss amounts attributed to each individual platform.
Common categories of scams reported include investment fraud, deceptive shopping schemes, and romance scams. Notably, the FTC’s report highlighted that close to 60% of victims who reported romance scams indicated that these fraudulent interactions began on social media platforms.
The Federal Trade Commission is a government agency responsible for protecting consumers and promoting competition. The agency collects data on consumer fraud to identify trends and inform the public about potential risks.
Story summarized from the original created by Kelly Broderick on www.tampabay28.com, see more information here.
