Social media platforms profited £430m last year from scam adverts targeting UK users, according to new research.
A white paper from Juniper Research commissioned by fintech giant Revolut found the UK is a top target for scam ads, accounting for nearly 11% of the total European revenue generated by social media platforms from the practice.
The paper found that UK-based social media users saw on average 185 scam ads per month and collectively lost £44m from them, a figure it projects will rise to £84m by 2030 if current trends persist.
The scale of scam advertising on platforms like X, Facebook and Instagram is so large that they account for almost a tenth of all advertising see by UK users on social media.
The research also points out that the hefty profits earned from these ads is distinctly on the rise, with the £430m earned in 2025 representing a 56% increase compared with figures from 2022.
Part of the issue, according to the research, is that platforms generally adopt a reactive model of verification for ads, only taking action after they have been paid for and put up.
Juniper Research claimed that if social media platforms continue to incentivise scam advertising and make no shifts to a more proactive verification model, social media companies could generate almost £9bn from scam adverts by 2030.
Revolut has commissioned significant research into the role of social media in fraud and scams. The fintech has long called for greater liability to be placed on these platforms, which research indicates are the origin point for the majority of fraud cases.
Currently, in instances of push payment fraud, a common scam wherein users are tricked into sending money to criminals, the onus to reimburse the victim is placed solely on the payment account provider.
UKTN has contacted several major social media providers for comment.
Read more: ‘Their silence says it all’: Revolut demands Meta fraud liability
