UK fraud losses from hacked email and social media accounts rise more than 400%
Official UK data show reported losses from email and social media account hacking reached £6.3m in 2025-26, up from £1.2m, as criminals impersonate victims to sell fake tickets and run “Hi mum” scams.
In many cases, the scammers hijack accounts to use the victim’s identity to sell fake event tickets, including for sold-out gigs, to unsuspecting friends and family. The reported figures are likely to be lower than the true total because many victims do not report the crime, often because they feel embarrassed and sometimes because the individual amount involved was relatively small.
The Guardian previously featured the case of a music fan whose Instagram account was targeted by hackers. The hackers used her identity to advertise tickets to an Oasis gig and stole £1,400 from her friends. She said the hackers impersonated her so well that her friends and family genuinely thought they were speaking to her.
Other people have been scammed through fraudulent WhatsApp and text messages in which a criminal pretends to be their child or a relative in an emergency who urgently needs cash. The tactic has been dubbed the “Hi mum” scam. Data from Santander showed that among the bank’s customers, fraudsters pretending to be someone’s son were the most successful at extracting cash, followed by those pretending to be 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”.
Report Fraud is launching an awareness campaign urging the public to protect their online accounts from hackers by switching to passkeys where they are available. A passkey uses an individual’s device and biometrics to authenticate them and cannot be hacked like a password.
Editor's Summary The reported amount stolen through hacked email and social media accounts in the UK rose more than 400% to £6.3m in 2025-26, according to the City of London police’s Report Fraud service. Criminals commonly impersonate victims to sell fake event tickets or pose as relatives in “Hi mum” scams, and Report Fraud is urging the public to use passkeys to secure accounts.