Switch to passkeys: warning as amount of money stolen by account hacking soars

Switch to passkeys: warning as amount of money stolen by account hacking soars

Switch to passkeys: warning as amount of money stolen by account hacking soars

We're joining our colleagues at Report Fraud in urging everyone to protect their online accounts, after stolen sums from account hacking surged by 400 per cent in the last year.

Across the country, £6.3 million was reported stolen from email and social media account hacking in the 12 months from April 2025 - up from £1.2 million the previous year.

In that time, there were 442 reports of this type of hacking in York and North Yorkshire. Nationally, it is the most-reported form of cybercrime in the UK.

As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Report Fraud has today launched an awareness campaign, urging the public to protect their online accounts from hackers by switching to passkeys and securing accounts.

Hacking, in the context of online accounts, refers to criminals gaining unauthorised access someone’s email, social media, or other online account to commit further fraudulent activity such as impersonating the account owner to defraud family and friends by asking for money or offering fake tickets.

One of the most common themes identified from reports is compromised accounts being used to impersonate family members and friends. So what starts with one compromised account can quickly impact family, friends and colleagues as fraudsters exploit trusted relationships to commit further fraud.

Protect yourself online

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Use passkeys wherever they are available. They are more secure and easier to use. Where passkeys are unavailable, use strong passwords, for example generated by a password manager. You should also enable 2 step-verification if you can.

• Who has access to the content you’re posting? Make sure your privacy settings are configured so that it’s only visible to the people you want to see it, for example only your friends.

• Beware of sharing personal details online: try not to share too many personal details that a fraudster could use to build a picture of you. They can use facts, such as your birthday, where you live, family relationships or pet names to steal your identity or make their fraud more convincing.

• If you are contacted by someone you know via social media or email: don’t automatically trust that person is who you think they are. Contact them through another route, such as in person, by sending a text or phoning them.

If you have been hacked

If you have been hacked, tell Report Fraud by making a report at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

The UK’s National Cyber Security centre has detailed guidance explaining what you can do to minimise the damage, and how you can regain access to your accounts.