UK losses from social media account hacking surge by 400 percent

Official data indicates that the financial losses resulting from criminals hijacking email and social media accounts have increased by more than 400 percent over the past year. The Report Fraud service, which is operated by the City of London police and holds national responsibility for economic crime, recorded total reported thefts of £6.3m in the 2025-26 financial year. This represents a significant rise from the £1.2m reported in the previous year, highlighting a sharp escalation in this specific category of digital fraud.

In numerous instances, offenders exploit compromised accounts to impersonate the account holder and sell counterfeit event tickets to their personal contacts. These schemes frequently target tickets to high-demand events, such as sold-out concerts, deceiving friends and family members who trust the identity of the sender. The true scale of the problem is likely understated, as many victims do not report the incidents. Reasons for non-reporting often include feelings of embarrassment or the perception that the individual sum of money lost is too small to warrant a police report.

The Guardian has previously documented cases where individuals had their identities used to advertise tickets to major musical events. In one instance, a music fan’s Instagram account was targeted, allowing criminals to steal £1,400 from her friends by impersonating her so convincingly that her contacts believed they were communicating with her directly. Other common tactics involve fraudulent messages on WhatsApp or via text, where criminals pretend to be a relative in an emergency who urgently requires cash. This method, often referred to as the “Hi mum” scam, relies on emotional manipulation to extract funds quickly.

Data from Santander suggests that fraudsters impersonating a son are the most successful at extracting cash from bank customers, followed closely by those pretending to be a daughter. Ch Supt Amanda Wolf, head of Report Fraud operations, noted that being hacked is a deeply personal issue that can leave victims locked out of essential accounts and worried about data exposure. She warned that a single compromised account can rapidly affect wider social circles as criminals exploit trusted relationships to commit further offences. In response, Report Fraud is launching an awareness campaign urging the public to switch to passkeys where available, a security method that uses device biometrics to authenticate users and cannot be hacked in the same way as traditional passwords.