As someone who’s been in the markets long enough to see every wave of hype come and go, Barclays’ findings don’t surprise me, but they do concern me. I wish I had known much earlier how dangerous the mix of social media, unregulated advice, and investment psychology could become. When nearly half of investment scam losses are tied to content people see online, it tells you the problem isn’t just criminals, it’s the environment.
Markets are complex, slow, and often boring, but social media rewards speed, confidence, and the appearance of certainty. Finfluencers flashing lifestyles, AI-generated “analysis,” and urgent calls to act quickly create a perfect storm for bad decisions. Real trading doesn’t pressure you to move fast or promise clarity in chaos. The moment investment advice is packaged as entertainment or authority without accountability, risk multiplies. This isn’t a failure of markets, it’s a failure of boundaries between education, marketing, and manipulation.
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