Hijacked WhatsApp and Messenger accounts used to ask contacts for urgent loans — losses up 417% to £6.3m

What is this scam?

Report Fraud issued a warning on 5 October 2026 after losses from social media account takeover fraud reached £6.3 million in 2025/26 — a 417% rise from £1.2 million the previous year. Criminals take over genuine WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger accounts and immediately message the victim's saved contacts posing as them, claiming an emergency — a missed bill, a medical need, or a family crisis — and asking for an urgent loan of £50–£500 via bank transfer. Because the message arrives in an existing conversation thread from the real contact's account, recipients frequently believe the request is genuine. Victims should call the person directly on their known phone number before transferring any money, and should never share verification codes that could grant account access to a third party.

Example scam message

Red flags to look out for

• The message creates urgency — threatening a fine, missed delivery, or account closure.
• Links lead to unofficial domains that don't match the real company's website.
• You weren't expecting this message and can't verify the event it references.
• It asks you to confirm payment details or personal information via a link.
• The sender's number or email address doesn't match the company's official contact.

What to do if you receive this

1. Do not call any numbers or click any links in the message.
2. Log in to your account directly via the official website or app to check for any real alerts.
3. Forward the message to 7726 or email report@phishing.gov.uk.
4. Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.