Money stolen by social media and email account hacking in UK jumps 400% in a year

Data from the Report Fraud service, run by the City of London police, reveals a sharp rise in account hijacking scams. In many cases, hackers take over a person's social media account and use their identity to sell fake event tickets, such as to sold-out concerts, to unsuspecting friends and family.

The true scale of the problem is likely to be much larger, as many victims do not report the crime, often out of embarrassment or because the individual sum involved is small.

Separately, fraudsters have been using "Hi mum" style scams via WhatsApp and text messages, pretending to be a relative in an emergency and urgently requesting money. Santander data shows that among its customers, criminals pretending to be the victim's son were the most successful at extracting cash, followed by daughters.

Ch Supt Amanda Wolf, head of Report Fraud operations, said: "For most people, being hacked isn't just a cyber issue – it's personal. It can leave victims locked out of important accounts, worried about what information has been accessed, and concerned that criminals may use their identity to target others."

She added that what starts with one compromised account "can quickly impact family, friends and colleagues as fraudsters exploit trusted relationships to commit further fraud".

In response to the rise in such scams, Report Fraud is launching an awareness campaign urging the public to protect their online accounts by switching to passkeys where available. Passkeys use a device's biometric authentication and cannot be hacked like a password.

Analysis

Why This Matters

UK consumers are increasingly losing money through a personal, trust-based form of fraud that exploits social media and email accounts.
The 400% jump in reported losses signals that existing security measures are failing to keep pace with sophisticated impersonation tactics.
The scam pattern – hijacking accounts to sell fake tickets or pose as a relative – directly targets victims' social networks, making it harder to detect.

Background

Social media account hacking is a growing form of cyber-enabled fraud. Criminals gain access to a user's account through stolen passwords, phishing, or weak security, then lock the legitimate owner out and begin messaging their contacts. Because the messages come from a trusted account, friends and family are more likely to believe the request, whether for event tickets, money for an emergency, or other urgent help. UK authorities have been tracking this trend and the latest figures show a dramatic acceleration.

Key Perspectives

Victims and their networks: Individuals who have their accounts hacked not only lose access but may find their identity used to defraud close contacts, leading to financial losses and damaged relationships. City of London Police/Report Fraud: The police are responding with awareness campaigns and promoting technical solutions such as passkeys, which offer stronger authentication than passwords and are harder for hackers to bypass. Social media and email platforms: The rising fraud figures put pressure on tech companies to improve account security, implement better detection of hijacking attempts, and provide more effective support for victims trying to recover accounts.

What to Watch

Adoption rates of passkeys by UK social media and email users, which could reduce the success of password-based hijacking.
Upcoming UK police data releases to see if the upward trend continues or if awareness efforts take effect.
Potential regulatory or legal action if platforms are seen as not doing enough to prevent account takeovers.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources