Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAn investment scam may arrive dressed as a helpful tip: a polished ad, a friendly adviser, or a group chat full of apparent success stories. Before sending money or sharing financial details, verify the person and firm independently, examine the risks and incentives, and never rely on a social-media post alone to make an investment decision.
Why advice-style scams deserve caution
In 2025, consumers who told the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that a scam started on social media reported $2.1 billion in losses. Nearly 30% of consumers reporting scam losses said the scam began there. These are consumer reports, not a census of all fraud. The FTC also reported $1.1 billion in 2025 losses from social-media investment scams—more than half of reported losses from social-media scams overall. Shopping scams were the most reported social-media scam type. FTC social-media scam data and its investment-scam figures describe reports received by the agency, not every incident.
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Across investment scams, the FTC reported more than $7.9 billion in losses and a median individual loss above $10,000 in 2025. Advice-style pitches can exploit trust before directing someone to a fake investment platform, a risky trade, or a transfer. A scammer might claim to be a professional, show fabricated gains, or promise unusually high returns with little risk.
How a pitch turns into a scam
An ad or post becomes a private conversation
The FTC describes investment scams that begin with social-media ads or posts offering investment instruction. A reader may then be invited to a messaging group—sometimes on WhatsApp—where supposed participants post success testimonials. The FTC also warns that shopping scams can start with social ads for expensive goods at implausibly low prices, leading to counterfeit-brand sites or goods that never arrive.
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A stock tip builds trust, then changes direction
A February 6, 2026, alert from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) describes stock-tip ads that can lead to group chats and people claiming to be registered advisers or their assistants. A target might first see apparent returns on shares of large companies, gain confidence in the group, and then be urged to buy shares in smaller companies. The SEC warns that the smaller company’s price may subsequently plummet. The alert also explains manipulative promotion patterns such as pump-and-dump schemes, scalping, and undisclosed paid touting. Read the SEC investor alert.
A relationship or convincing-looking video lends credibility
Some romance scammers build a relationship and later offer investment advice as a path to a fake platform. In Australia, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has warned that AI may be used to make fake investment ads more polished, including through professional-looking videos, fake endorsements, and targeted advertising. ASIC’s examples of suspected scam ads included claims of automated trading, passive income, extraordinary accuracy, and spectacular back-tested gains; those ad claims are not evidence that the products work or that a particular victim lost money. ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland said: “Scammers are using artificial intelligence to make fake investment ads look more polished, more convincing and harder to spot,” ASIC’s 2026 warning also reports on its enforcement activity.
Warning signs to check before you act
- Guaranteed or extraordinary returns: Promises of high returns with little or no risk are a major warning sign. Every investment involves risk, and a confident tone does not make a return promise credible.
- Pressure to move or act quickly: Be wary if a promoter pushes you into a private chat, urges you to join a group, or pressures you to send money, screenshots, or financial information.
- Testimonials and displayed gains as proof: Chat members, endorsements, and screenshots can be fabricated or misleading. Treat them as claims to verify, not evidence.
- Unclear identity or contact details: A familiar name, a real registration, or a professional-looking profile does not prove the account contacting you belongs to that person or firm.
- Hidden incentives: Ask whether the promoter is paid, owns the investment, or has another conflict of interest. Promotion without clear disclosure deserves scrutiny.
The SEC frames two useful questions: “Did you click on an advertisement online or on social media, and get added to a group chat focusing on investments?” and “Have you been promised high investment returns with little or no risk?” An affirmative answer does not prove fraud, but it is a reason to stop and verify before proceeding.
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- Pause before engaging. Do not send money, share contact or financial information, install an app, or move to a private chat while you are still assessing the pitch.
- Search independently. Look up the investment company, promoter, and offer with terms such as “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.” Inspect more than one result instead of relying on a link supplied by the promoter.
- Check U.S. registration and background. Use the free lookup at Investor.gov to check a person’s or firm’s background and registration. Registration is a verification step, not a guarantee that a recommendation is suitable or that the account contacting you is genuine.
- Contact the firm through official details. Find the firm’s contact information independently and ask whether the person and account are associated with it. Do not verify the claim by replying to the suspicious account or using a phone number it supplied.
- Assess the recommendation itself. Ask how the investment can lose money, whether the risks are being explained honestly, and whether compensation or conflicts are disclosed. A verified adviser can still make a recommendation that is not right for you.
The SEC’s guidance is clear: “Investors should never make investment decisions based solely on information from social media platforms or apps.” The alert is staff guidance from the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance and Division of Enforcement; it does not itself create legal obligations.
If you already sent money or shared financial information
- Contact your bank promptly if you transferred money or disclosed financial information. Explain what happened and ask what steps may be available to protect the account or transaction.
- Report the incident through the appropriate official channel. U.S. consumers can report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Australians can report to ASIC’s Scamwatch.
- Limit further exposure. Review who can see your social posts and contact lists; reducing public information can make it harder for scammers to personalize a pitch.
If someone claims to represent the U.S. government and demands money, threatens you, tells you to transfer funds, or promises a prize, the FTC says that is not how it operates: “The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the regulator figures do—and do not—show
ASIC said it removed 11,964 phishing and investment-scam websites in 2025, a 90% increase over the preceding 12-month period, and removed more than 1,100 online investment scam advertisements from social media in 2025. These are Australian enforcement figures, not a measure directly comparable with U.S. consumer-reported losses.
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In September 2026, the FTC announced an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on whether platform advertising and ad-optimization practices contribute to business and government impersonation scams. This was an inquiry into possible next steps, not a final new rule. The FTC also says its 2024 Impersonation Rule gave it stronger enforcement tools; a dozen actions since then produced more than $70 million in consumer redress. FTC notice on platform advertising practices and FTC update on the Impersonation Rule.
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