UK Social Media Scam Losses Soar 400% as Hackers Hijack Accounts to Trick Friends and Family

UK Social Media Scam Losses Soar 400% as Hackers Hijack Accounts to Trick Friends and Family

Report Fraud says losses from hacked email and social media accounts reached £6.3M in 2025-26, up 417%, as criminals target victims' contacts.

Bombshell report shows 34% increase in email hacking with £6.3m lost

UK police are seeing a sharp rise in email hacks, but the real terror is realising the next message your mum trusts could be wearing your face.

Switch to passkeys: Report Fraud warning as email and social media account hacking sums stolen rise by more than 400 per cent

Stolen money from social media and email hacking rises 400%, Report Fraud finds

Money stolen by criminals hacking social media accounts and emails has risen over 400% over the past year, according to the Report Fraud service run by the City of London Police. The losses reached £6.3 million from social media and email hacking in the 2025–26 financial year, up from £1.2 million in 2024–25. These hacks […]

Money stolen by scammers hijacking UK social media accounts rises 400%

Many cases involve criminals using other people’s identities to sell fake event tickets to friends and family The total amount stolen by criminals who hack into people’s emails and social media accounts and then pretend to be them has risen by more than 400% in a year, official UK data shows. In…