Telegram named fastest-growing source of fraud in 2025. In Romania specifically, 20% of reported scams originated on Facebook.

In Romania purchase scams were found to be the most prevalent threat for local customers, accounting for 60% of all reported cases. Jobs scams represented 15%, the second highest type of fraud, followed by investment scams (7%).

Report reveals that Telegram is the fastest-growing source of APP fraud – cases stemming from the app jumped by a huge 233% globally since 2024. Purchase scams remain the most prevalent fraud type globally representing 57% of reported scams in 2025, with job scams the fastest-growing fraud type.

Revolut today released its fourth Consumer Security and Financial Crime Report, tracking the rapidly evolving tactics of fraudsters globally and in Romania. The report reveals that scams are running rampant on private messaging apps, with Telegram identified as the fastest-growing source of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud.

While Meta platforms account for 44% of scams reported to Revolut, cases originating on Telegram have surged by 233% as fraudsters exploit the platform to scale scams at pace.

The data reported to Revolut presents a clear shift in criminal trends, from traditional social networks to encrypted messaging platforms. This shift reinforces the urgent need for cross- sector accountability across the digital and telecommunications ecosystems to protect consumers.

Key findings of Revolut’s latest Consumer Security and Financial Crime Report include:
. Telegram on the rise – Fraud originating from Telegram now accounts for a fifth of reported scams (21%). Consumers may believe these platforms are secure due to their encrypted nature – while the platform’s anonymity is marketed as a feature, it has become a primary tool for fraudsters looking to operate out of sight. This environment has proven particularly effective for complex deceptions with 58% of all job scams
globally now originate on Telegram.

. Meta remains dominant – Meta’s platforms combined account for nearly half (44%) of scams reported to Revolut globally in 2025. This marks the fourth consecutive reporting period where Meta has held this position.

. TikTok on the rise – Although the volume of fraud sourced from TikTok remains relatively low compared to more established platforms, there has been a 6x increase in the percentage of scams that originate on the app year-on-year.

. Purchase Scams are the most common scam-type, with job scams increasing at pace – Despite the ever-changing nature of fraud, the prevalence of purchase scams remains relatively constant. However, 2025 witnessed a startling growth in job scams globally, rising approximately 3x year on year and now representing 22% of all scam cases.

In Romania specifically, the data shows that 20% of reported scams originated on Facebook during 2025, with Meta channels counting for almost half of the total scams originated from social media. Telegram came in second position, with 19%. Most notably, purchase scams were found to be the most prevalent threat for local customers, accounting for 60% of all reported cases. Jobs scams represented 15%, the second highest type of fraud, followed by investment scams (7%).

The findings build on recent research which highlighted the significant financial incentives for social media platforms to host such content. The study, conducted by Juniper Research, found that social media platforms generated an estimated €4.4bn in revenue from fraudulent advertisements targeting European users in 2025 alone. Revolut welcomes the EU new anti- fraud rules and ad hoc strategy, both for the payment fraud under the upcoming Payment Service Regulation (PSR) and via the next EU strategy to fight online fraud.

At the same time, the British fintech company is calling for a legal requirement for online platforms to participate in data sharing schemes or face enforcement action, with further legal or regulatory measures explored if meaningful reduction in fraud is not achieved by the largest enablers.

Revolut’s Head of Financial Crime, Woody Malouf, commented: “The rapid rise of scams stemming from Telegram shows how quickly criminal tactics adapt. Revolut is processing billions of data points to stay ahead, but the digital ecosystem is only as strong as its weakest link. We need social media and messaging platforms to step up. Protecting users must be a shared priority across the entire industry, including the platforms where these scams are born.”

Revolut takes fraud and the industry-wide risk of customers being coerced by organised criminals, incredibly seriously. Nearly one third of the company’s total workforce works in financial crime prevention, and the business is continually enhancing security features. In the last 6 months alone, Revolut has launched four new initiatives to combat increasingly sophisticated threats including:

. Scam Buster: A groundbreaking AI-powered chatbot designed to deliver targeted scam warnings to our customers before the point of sale. The bot utilises conversational data to predict the likely scam type a customer is falling for and tailors the warning accordingly.

. Street Mode: Allowing users to set ‘Trusted Locations’ for transactions, and applying extra protections to any transfers taking place outside of these locations.

. In-app scam call identification banner: Our in-app call feature to help users instantly verify whether they are on the phone with Revolut or a scammer.

. Revolut FinCrime Summit: The inaugural Revolut FinCrime Summit convened over 150 partners, regulators, law enforcement agents, and industry leaders from across the globe. Attendees shared insights and experiences, developing new, collaborative strategies for the global fight against financial crime.

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The findings in this report are based on anonymised data from the Revolut platform, spanning a 12-month period between 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025. The data covers all fraud reported to Revolut – however, we acknowledge a proportion of fraud goes unreported.