UK Fraud Data Shows 400% Surge in Social Media Account Theft

Official UK data reveals that losses from hacked email and social media accounts have surged by over 400% in a single year.

Fraudsters frequently hijack accounts to peddle counterfeit tickets for sold-out events, targeting unsuspecting friends and relatives.

Reported financial losses totalled £6.3 million during the 2025-26 financial year, up from £1.2 million the previous year, according to the City of London Police’s Report Fraud service, which leads national economic crime efforts.

The actual figure is likely substantially higher, as many victims fail to report incidents—often due to embarrassment—or because individual losses were relatively minor.

A notable case highlighted by The Guardian involved a music fan whose Instagram account was compromised; hackers used her identity to promote Oasis gig tickets, stealing £1,400 from friends who believed they were communicating with her directly.

Separately, victims have fallen prey to fraudulent WhatsApp and text messages, where criminals impersonate family members in urgent distress to extract cash. This tactic has become known as the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

Santander data indicates that impersonators posing as sons were the most successful at extracting funds, followed by those posing as daughters.

Ch Supt Amanda Wolf, head of Report Fraud operations, commented: “For many, being hacked is far more than a cybersecurity matter—it’s personal. Victims can be locked out of vital accounts, anxious about accessed data, and concerned their identity may be used to target others.”

She warned that a single compromised account can rapidly cascade, affecting family, friends, and colleagues as fraudsters leverage trusted relationships to perpetrate further deception.

Report Fraud is launching an awareness campaign urging the public to secure their online accounts by adopting passkeys where available. These credentials rely on individual devices and biometrics, making them immune to traditional password hacks.

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