Social media companies generated an estimated £430m last year from scam advertisements aimed at UK users, according to new research.
A white paper by Juniper Research, commissioned by fintech firm Revolut, found that the UK is one of the biggest targets for scam advertising. Nearly 11% of all European revenue made by social platforms from scam ads is linked to UK audiences.
The report shows that UK social media users were exposed to an average of 185 scam adverts each month, with collective losses totalling £44m. If current trends continue, Juniper Research projects this figure could climb to £84m by 2030.
Scam advertising has reached such levels that platforms including X, Facebook and Instagram now account for almost 10% of all advertising seen by UK social media users.
The research also highlights the rapid growth in profits generated from these adverts. The £430m recorded in 2025 represents a 56% increase compared with figures from 2022.
According to the report, a key driver of the problem is the largely reactive approach taken by platforms, with checks often carried out only after adverts have been paid for and published.
Juniper Research warned that if social media companies continue to profit from scam advertising without moving to more proactive verification measures, revenues from scam ads could reach nearly £9bn by 2030.
Revolut has commissioned extensive research into the role of social media in enabling fraud and scams, repeatedly calling for greater accountability from platforms. Its findings suggest that social media is the starting point for the majority of fraud cases.
At present, in cases of authorised push payment fraud — where victims are deceived into transferring money to criminals — responsibility for reimbursing losses sits entirely with the payment account provider.
