Criminals hijacking personal email and social media accounts in the United Kingdom have dramatically increased their theft activities, according to data released by the Report Fraud service operated by the City of London police.
Official figures indicate that reported losses from account compromise rose to £6.3m in the 2025-26 financial year, a significant jump from £1.2m recorded in the prior year. The surge represents a more than 400% increase. Experts caution that the documented total likely understates the true extent of losses, as many victims choose not to report incidents due to embarrassment or because individual sums stolen were modest.
Criminals employ various tactics after gaining access to accounts. One common method involves using a victim’s identity to advertise counterfeit tickets for high-demand events such as concerts. A previously documented case involved someone whose Instagram account was compromised; fraudsters used her identity to market tickets for an Oasis performance and obtained £1,400 from her social contacts. Another prevalent scam variant uses WhatsApp and text messaging, in which perpetrators impersonate family members—often claiming to be children or relatives in emergency situations—and solicit urgent cash transfers. Data from banking institutions indicates that scammers impersonating sons are particularly effective at convincing victims to send money, with impersonations of daughters also showing notable success rates.
Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf, who oversees Report Fraud operations, emphasized the serious personal impact of account compromise beyond technical security concerns. She noted that victims often face account lockouts, anxiety over compromised personal information, and the knowledge that their identity may be weaponized to defraud others within their networks.
In response to the escalating threat, Report Fraud is initiating a public awareness initiative focused on account protection. The campaign encourages adoption of passkeys, a security method that relies on device-specific authentication and biometric verification rather than traditional passwords, which remain vulnerable to hacking.
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