The £221 Million Scam Epidemic Hiding on Social Media

Investment scams cost UK victims £221.5 million in 2025, according to UK fraud figures, with social media adverts on Instagram and WhatsApp messages increasingly used to persuade victims to send money themselves. The shift away from bank-account breaches toward self-authorised transfers makes the losses harder to reverse and puts scrutiny on platforms hosting the adverts. For crypto traders, the figures reinforce the regulatory and reputational risk around retail-facing fraud, which often feeds calls for tighter rules on social platforms and payment rails.