UK account-hack losses surge as new reporting system exposes hidden cases
UK reported account-hack losses rose 417% to £6.3M in 2025-26, largely because the new Report Fraud system is capturing previously hidden cases.
The City of London Police's first annual assessment reported £6.3 million in losses from hacked accounts in the year ending March 31, up from £1.2 million, with victims rising from 226 to 2,325. The surge coincides with the January launch of Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud; 92% of account-hack reports with financial loss were recorded in the second half of the year. Cyber-dependent crime reports rose 34% to 64,608 while ransomware reports fell 25% to 323, which police warn may reflect underreporting.
- 92% of account-hack reports with losses occurred after the Report Fraud rollout in January.
- Fraud is roughly 40% of crime in England and Wales; about two-thirds is cyber-enabled.
- Small and medium businesses made up 62% of organizational cybercrime reports where size was known.
- Mandatory ransomware reporting proposals are stalled; ICO recorded 452 ransomware-related breaches in late 2025.
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- United Kingdom
From the original article
4 min read at therecord.media
Reported losses tied to hacked email, social media and other online accounts in Britain rose 417% over the last financial year, although police say much of the jump reflects changes in how incidents are reported rather than a sudden fivefold increase in attacks. In its first annual assessment , published Friday, the City of London Police said victims reported losing £6. 3 million ($8.
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