Public posts can give scammers details that make a fake investment pitch, romance approach, or urgent message feel personal. They are only one source of information: scams also spread through ads, impersonation, and compromised accounts. Restricting unnecessary visibility and protecting your logins can reduce risk, but no privacy setting or security feature can prevent every scam.
Why social profiles can help scammers
Visible interests, contacts, and personal details can help a stranger build a convincing connection before asking for money or sensitive information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises that scammers use profile information this way, and that limiting access to posts and contacts gives them less to work with.
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The scale of reported losses is significant, though reported figures are not a count of every loss. The FTC said people reported losing $2.1 billion to social-media scams in 2025. More than half of those reported losses came from investment scams. Nearly 60% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it began on social media. These figures describe reported losses, not any one person’s likelihood of being scammed. FTC: Social media scams took $2.1 billion in 2025.
Review what your profile reveals
- Limit who can see your posts and contact list, where the service offers those controls.
- Check your profile and older posts for details you do not need to make public. Consider limiting unnecessary location or identifying information when controls are available.
- Review each service’s current privacy settings. Controls and labels differ by platform, so use the service’s own current guidance rather than assuming one menu path applies everywhere.
Privacy controls are a way to share more deliberately, not a guarantee against fraud. A scammer may still reach you through an ad, impersonate someone you know, or use an account that has been taken over.
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Protect the login and the recovery route
Use a distinct, hard-to-guess password for each social account. Secure the email account used for password resets just as carefully: access to that inbox can help someone take over other accounts. Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA), also called two-factor authentication, for both social accounts and the recovery email.
When offered, an authenticator app is preferable to a code sent by text or email. Text messages can be exposed through SIM-swap attacks. The FTC describes a security key as the strongest 2FA method in its guidance, but it is a physical device and works only where the service and your devices support it. Check compatibility and recovery options before relying on one. If the only available MFA option is a text or email code, FTC guidance favors using offered MFA over relying on a password alone. FTC: How to protect your accounts with multi-factor authentication and FTC: What to know about identity theft.
Review the recovery phone number and email address on each account, along with signed-in sessions or devices. Remove details or sessions you do not recognize. Menu names and available methods vary, so check the service’s current security settings.
Pause before sending money, codes, or personal information
Treat an unexpected request as unverified, even if it appears to come from a friend or relative. Contact that person using a number you already have or another separate channel before sending money or sharing sensitive information. Never give a verification code to someone who contacted you; a legitimate support interaction should not require you to hand over a one-time sign-in code.
For a product advertised in a social feed, research the seller independently before buying. Search the seller’s name with “scam” or “complaint,” and be cautious about relying only on the ad or the seller’s own page. FTC guidance notes that social-media ads can lead to scams as well as legitimate offers. FTC social-media scam guidance and FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams.
Signs someone may have taken over your account
- Your password, email address, or phone number changed without your permission.
- You see unfamiliar logins or devices, or you can no longer sign in.
- Friends receive messages, links, or requests for money that you did not send.
Any one sign merits checking the account through the provider’s official site or app. Avoid recovery links sent by strangers or unexpected messages; navigate to the service directly. FTC: What to do if your social media account was hacked.
If your account is taken over, act in this order
- Start with the provider’s official recovery process. Use the service’s own account-recovery page or app, especially if you are locked out.
- Change the password. Set a new, unique password; if you reused the old one elsewhere, change it on those accounts too.
- Sign out other sessions. Use the service’s security controls to end sessions or remove devices you do not recognize.
- Enable MFA and inspect recovery details. Check that the email address and phone number on the account are yours, and review recent activity for changes you did not make.
- Warn your contacts. Tell friends through another channel not to click suspicious links or respond to requests for money from the compromised account.
The FTC’s hacked-account guidance covers reporting and recovery steps, while its account-security guidance explains why protecting the recovery email matters. FTC hacked-account recovery guidance and FTC: How to protect your personal information.
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For accounts managed by an organization
A business, nonprofit, or other organization should treat social accounts as part of its security operations, not simply as personal profiles. CISA’s August 2023 social-media account protection guide recommends planning for account policy, credential management, MFA, privacy settings, trusted devices, vendor vetting, threat awareness, and incident response. It is organizational guidance rather than a consumer requirement. CISA: Secure Social Media Accounts.
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