Millions scammed on Facebook, Google and Instagram despite fraud pledge
Tech giants signed a ‘world first’ pledge in November 2023 to do more to tackle fraud on their platforms, yet Which? estimates 6.6 million people in the UK lost money to online scams in the last 12 months.
The likes of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (Twitter) and YouTube all signed the voluntary Online Fraud Charter, which marks its first anniversary this week.
They vowed to protect users from scam content, by verifying new advertisers and promptly removing any fraudulent content - but our research suggests scammers continue to run rampant.
Here, we explain why we are calling on the government to bring forward the Online Safety Act and fine firms that fail to stamp out online fraud.
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Social media and search engines littered with scams
Which? surveyed over 2,000 UK adults to find out if the Online Fraud Charter has had an impact on the volume of scams people encounter online.
In the past year, 12% lost money to online scams, equivalent to 6.6 million when scaled to the total UK adult population. This figure doesn't include those who lost personal data or realised they were being scammed before any money was lost, meaning the true number of people affected by online scams is much higher.
Three quarters (74%) of these scams happened on platforms that have committed to the Charter. Most were linked to social media firms (63%), though fraud was also rife on search engines (42%), online marketplaces (39%) and messaging platforms (23%).
The brands most likely to be linked to scams were Facebook (37%), Google (33%), Instagram (20%), Amazon (18%) and WhatsApp (18%).
The most common scams were purchase scams, investment scams, impersonation scams and dating or romance scams.
Amazon, Google and Meta had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
- Find out more: how to spot a social media scam
People are anxious and distrustful
Tech firms that signed the Charter on 30 November 2023 agreed to take action within six months, yet online scams are still out of control.
Since then, Which? has exposed scores of rogue ads on social media including a fake car leasing Instagram scam and fraudulent ads for mis-sold car finance and winter fuel payments.
Some 22% surveyed said they came across suspicious ads or messages every day when online in the last six months and 73% don't trust that the ads they see on social media or search engines are genuine.
The Charter has clearly failed to make people feel safer - 34% were less likely to trust online platforms now, compared to a year ago and only 3% felt more confident using online platforms than they did a year ago.
- Find out more: how to spot and report scam search engine adverts
Why we need the Online Safety Act now
The Online Safety Act is a UK law that regulates online content and aims to make the internet safer, yet the current timetable suggests platforms may not be held accountable until 2027. It's simply not good enough.
Ofcom needs to put the regulations in place much sooner and Lord Hanson, the Fraud Minister, must ensure that the government leads a more coordinated approach across the tech, banking and telecoms sectors.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
'Our research has found that in spite of the Online Fraud Charter’s promises, fraud is still rife on online platforms in the UK - with 6.6 million losing money to online scams in the last 12 months.
'For every week the government fails to take action, we lose millions to fraudsters and organised crime groups - taking money from productive firms, reducing overall levels of investment in the UK economy and damaging consumer confidence. The government and regulators need to act urgently to tackle the fraud epidemic or risk millions more falling victim to scammers.
'Under the current timetable for the Online Safety Act, platforms in scope of the fraudulent advertising duties in the Act may not be held accountable until 2027 - this is simply not good enough. Ofcom needs to put the regulations in place much sooner and the Fraud Minister must ensure a more coordinated approach working with regulators and the tech, banking and telecom sectors to stop the fraud epidemic.
- Find out more: fraud and the impact on mental health
Yonder, on behalf of Which?, conducted an online survey of 2,068 UK adults aged 18+. Fieldwork took place 8-10 November 2024. The data was weighted to be nationally representative.
