Brits were exposed to 95 billion scam adverts last year

Social media platforms are hosting a record wave of fraudulent activity, with new research revealing that British users were exposed to 95 billion scam adverts last year.

The UK has emerged as one of the most profitable targets for digital criminals globally, with the average social media user now seeing nearly 200 scam ads every month.

This saturation has led to significant financial damage, as victims lose an average of £1,258 per successful scam – the second-highest figure in Europe, trailling only Ireland’s average of £1,292.

The volume of scams is not just a burden for consumers but a massive revenue stream for the platforms themselves. It is estimated that social media giants generated £430 million in revenue during 2025 specifically from ads targeting British consumers with scams.

Experts now calculate that approximately one in every ten adverts shown to UK users is a fraudulent attempt to extract money or data.

The methods used by scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect too. Beyond traditional fake retail ads, there has been a sharp rise in the use of high-quality artificial intelligence to create deepfakes.

These involve impersonating celebrities or business leaders to endorse fake investment schemes that appear legitimate to the untrained eye. There is also a growing trend of official impersonation, with a rising number of scams purporting to be from government departments, which makes them significantly harder for the public to identify.

High-demand events have also become a primary target for fraudsters. Recent research from Lloyds Bank showed that 90% of ticket scams for major events, such as the Oasis tour and Glastonbury, originated on Meta-owned platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

While some tech firms claim to be tackling the issue – Meta recently stated it had removed 134 million scam ads – leaked documents suggest some companies may be using keywords to hide these ads from regulators rather than removing them entirely.

Financial experts warn that the problem is set to worsen in the coming years. Projections suggest scam ad impressions could reach 137 billion per year in the UK by 2030 as AI technology makes it easier to automate and scale fraud.