Encrypted messaging platforms are becoming a primary channel for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, with Telegram representing a growing share of reported cases, according to the Revolut report.
APP scam origination by % social media platform (Source: Revolut)
The platform generates over 20% of authorised fraud origination, surpassing WhatsApp and posting growth of more than 30% in its share of scam cases compared to 2024.
Meta-owned platforms remain the largest source of APP scams, accounting for 44% of all reported cases. Purchase scams are commonly linked to these services, making up 55% of that fraud type.
Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram together generate more than half of all loan and property scams, with WhatsApp responsible for over 30% of both categories.
Direct messaging services account for a large share of higher-loss schemes. WhatsApp and Telegram together make up 60% of investment scams and 79% of all job scams.
Telegram alone represents over 58% of job scams, up from 50% in 2024, and is the single largest scam source in 23% of the countries included in the report, with a strong concentration in Western Europe.
Revolut states that “the rise in instances of Authorised Push Payment fraud originating on ‘secure’ messaging platforms emphasises the need to develop targeted strategies for each type of APP scam, ensuring the safety of customers in both public and private domains.”
Overall volumes of authorised fraud sourced from TikTok remain relatively low, with the number of users reporting the platform as the origin of scams increasing sixfold.
“Financial institutions cannot solve this in a vacuum. A significant majority of scams originate on social media and telecommunications networks. To truly protect the global financial ecosystem, we must move toward a model of mandatory accountability for the platforms where these scams originate.” Woody Malouf, GM of Financial Crime at Revolut, said.
