The National Council on Aging has released new findings showing that online scams tied to social media advertising are widely experienced among older Americans, yet many incidents never get reported. The research also found that attitudes change once people learn how advertising systems work, with many placing greater responsibility on the platforms that host paid content.
The study, titled “Scroll, Click, Scam: How Social Media Platforms Enable Older Adult Scams,” combined an online poll with in-person focus groups involving adults aged 55 and older. Sessions were held in Phoenix, Detroit, and Westchester County to gather feedback on scam exposure and potential reforms.
Unavoidable scams
According to the findings, three-quarters of respondents had either personally experienced an online scam themselves or knew someone who had. That level of exposure led many participants to view scams as unavoidable and difficult to control.
“It’s shocking to see how universal and devastating scams are among older adults,” said Ramsey Alwin, President and CEO of NCOA. “While we must educate people on how to recognize scams and protect themselves, individual responsibility only goes so far.”
Before learning more about platform advertising practices, many respondents placed responsibility for scams on individuals or the criminals behind them. In the initial responses, 27 percent blamed individuals, 25 percent blamed scammers, and 22 percent pointed to social media platforms.
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Those views changed dramatically once participants learned that platforms generate revenue from advertising that can include scam content. After receiving that information, 91 percent of respondents said platforms could do more to reduce scam ads, while 67 percent said platforms should be held accountable for the spread of online scams.
The research also found that awareness of platform business practices remains limited. Just over half of participants, or 51 percent, said they were unaware that social media companies profit from ads later reported as misleading or fraudulent.
Reporting rates remain low even when scams occur. Among those who experienced fraud, 37 percent contacted their bank, but only 18 percent reported incidents to law enforcement and 13 percent reported cases to the Federal Trade Commission.
Participants expressed support for several proposed changes aimed at reducing fraudulent advertising. These included verifying businesses before allowing them to purchase ads and suspending advertisers that show early warning signs of scam activity.
“It’s also a fact that scams are not inevitable,” Alwin said. “They are the predictable outcome of business models that prioritize revenue over safety — choices that can, and must, be changed.”
The report concludes that scams tied to paid advertising continue to grow in scale, while underreporting remains a persistent problem. You can find out more here.
What do you think about calls to hold social media platforms accountable for scam ads? Let us know in the comments.
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