Money stolen by scammers hijacking UK social media accounts rises 400%
Official data shows a sharp rise in losses from criminals who hack accounts and pose as their owners, often to sell fake event tickets.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
The total amount stolen by criminals who hack into people's emails and social media accounts and then pose as them has risen by more than 400% in a year, according to official UK data cited by The Guardian.
In many of these cases, scammers hijack a victim's account specifically to use their identity to sell fake event tickets, including tickets to sold-out concerts, to the victim's unsuspecting friends and family.
The sharp rise highlights how account-hijacking fraud has evolved into a more lucrative and targeted scheme, exploiting trust within victims' existing social networks rather than relying solely on anonymous cold contact. Authorities continue to urge users to strengthen account security to limit exposure to this type of fraud.
Sources
- Money stolen by scammers hijacking UK social media accounts rises 400% — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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