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Survey finds older Americans want a crackdown on social media scams

A  majority say social media scams are unavoidable

Updated:

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By:
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Mark Huffman
Reporter

Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.
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Key Insights

  • Three out of four older Americans have been exposed to online scams, either directly or through someone they know.
  • Most initially blame individuals or scammers — but shift responsibility to social media platforms after learning how ads are handled.
  • Strong majorities now support stricter rules for platforms, including advertiser verification and tougher enforcement.

Older Americans are facing a surge in online scams, and many are now calling for major changes to how social media platforms operate, according to new research from the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

The report, “Scroll, Click, Scam: How Social Media Platforms Enable Older Adult Scams,” draws on polling and focus groups with adults age 55 and older in Arizona, Michigan, and New York. It paints a picture of widespread exposure to fraud — and growing frustration with the systems that allow it.

“It’s shocking to see how universal and devastating scams are among older adults,” said Ramsey Alwin, NCOA’s president and CEO. “While we must educate people on how to recognize scams and protect themselves, individual responsibility only goes so far.”

Not seen as isolated incidents

The findings suggest scams are no longer seen as isolated incidents. Instead, many older adults view them as unavoidable. Three-quarters of respondents said they had either been targeted themselves or knew someone who had, contributing to a sense that fraud is too widespread to control.

At first, respondents tended to place responsibility on individuals or the scammers themselves. About 27% blamed individuals, 25% blamed perpetrators, and 22% pointed to social media platforms.

But those views shifted significantly once participants learned more about how online advertising works.

More than half of respondents said they were unaware that platforms like Meta can profit from scam or misleading ads. After learning that platforms may allow multiple complaints before taking action, attitudes changed sharply: 91% said platforms could do more to reduce scam ads, and 67% said platforms bear responsibility for the problem.

Support for policy changes

That shift is driving growing support for policy changes. Among the most popular proposals: requiring platforms to verify advertisers before running ads, supported by 54% of respondents, and suspending advertisers who show early signs of fraudulent activity, backed by 50%. About a third said users should also have the option to opt out of personalized ads altogether.

The research also highlights how rarely scams are formally reported. While 37% of victims said they contacted their bank, only 18% reported incidents to law enforcement and just 13% notified the Federal Trade Commission. Advocates say that the gap means the true scale of the problem is likely far larger than official data suggests.

“It’s a fact that scams are intensifying and that they have devastating impacts on older adults’ finances and health,” Alwin said. “It’s also a fact that scams are not inevitable.”

Participants broadly supported stronger oversight, including improved detection and removal of scam ads, clearer legal accountability for platforms, and more aggressive enforcement at both the state and federal levels.

The report argues that scams are not simply the result of bad actors, but of business models that allow fraudulent advertising to slip through. And increasingly, older Americans appear to agree — placing pressure on social media companies to take a more active role in preventing harm.