UK Social Media Hacks Skyrocket: 57% Surge Leaves Nearly £1m in Victim Losses!
UK social media and email account compromises surged by 57% in 2024, with nearly £1m in victim losses. Action Fraud reported 35,434 hacks, largely driven by phishing attacks and credential stuffing. Users are urged to enhance authentication with two-factor authentication for better protection against these rising security threats.
Hot Take:
It looks like our social media accounts are the new gold standard for cybercriminals, and they’re mining them with a vengeance! With a 57% surge in breaches in the UK, it’s time to stop using “password123” and start treating our online security like the precious commodity it truly is. Remember folks, those phishing emails aren’t from a Nigerian prince—it’s just your cousin’s hacked account asking for your life’s savings in Bitcoin.
Key Points:
- UK social media and email account hacks increased by 57% in 2024, causing nearly £1m in losses.
- Fraudsters use tactics like ‘on-platform chain hacking’ to deceive victims into handing over authentication codes.
- Investment and ticket fraud are common motives for these account compromises.
- Action Fraud and Meta are campaigning to improve online security with strategies like unique passwords and 2FA.
- Meta is introducing advanced security measures, including facial recognition technology, to protect user accounts.