The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released a report spotlighting the most successful scams being committed in 2021, the majority of which were perpetrated on social media (25%).
It was found that more than one in four people have been victims of fraud to a tune of $770 million dollars — eighteen times more than in 2017 when the FTC first started collecting data. The irony here is that pornography, the one industry that is always discriminated against by mainstream channels, didn’t even get a mention as a problem.
Pornography is not a threat, but plenty of mainstream businesses are.
According to the FTC, the culprits causing the most headaches in the social media-verse include investment and romance scams, followed by online shopping dupes. Folks fell for rip-offs involving everything from promises to double their income via a crypto investment (extremely popular) and purchasing a coveted item that never arrives to sending money to someone they thought was interested in them romantically.
Those most hit were ages 18-39 — not older adults. Respondents shared that they were taken advantage of most frequently on Facebook and Instagram. Ironically, Facebook and Instagram are two platforms that seem to spend their days policing adult content instead of dedicating their efforts to cracking down on things that really hurt people — scams.
No one, especially members of the adult industry, is asking to freely post XXX content on social media with no oversight. It’s for mature audiences, and there must be parameters in place for the underage. The industry has only demanded the right to monetize their content in a safe, regulated and secure way and compete in the marketplace just like everyone else. Instead, they’ve been shut out, while those that appear to be running “legit” businesses have no problem opening accounts and doing real harm.
How much money and time would social media giants save if they just allowed adult entertainers to do business on their platforms with a few rules and some subscription-based features? The result might be a happier marketplace as porn isn’t going to disappear just because they will it. Let it be — it’s legal, and there’s an audience who wants to see it! What these hundred-pound gorillas should be doing is using their ape power where it’s truly needed: tracking down and stopping fraud, not harassing adult performers and businesses.
In addition to the big chunk of pie that goes to social media scams (95,000 fraud reports filed), websites and apps cost consumers around $554 million. Phone call scams clocked in at $546 million. Cons are good business! But still, once again, no mention of the adult industry committing fraud.
This report is a wakeup call. The mainstream world, social media sites, government bodies and the religious right would be well served to stop persecuting the adult industry. It’s time they turn their focus away from imposing morality on others and concentrate on real world issues… like the multi-million-dollar business of “legit” companies cheating people out of their hard-earned money.
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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
Header image via Pexels.com.
