If you spend endless hours a day glued to social media or have a Gmail/Yahoo inbox that is brimming with emails, you might want to take notice of the latest advice from security experts. It appears that online crooks are targeting accounts on an almost daily basis, and it’s putting millions at risk of attack.

In fact, new data from Action Fraud says there were a whopping 35,434 reports sent by UK consumers in 2024; that's up from 22,530 the year before.

If that figure wasn’t bad enough, nearly £1m was pinched by hackers after successfully targeting unsuspecting users. Those are worrying stats, and Action Fraud wants to stop more people from becoming a victim.

To avoid losing more money to thieves or having personal data stolen, the UK experts are now urging those with online accounts to make some urgent changes to avoid this 'critical' issue.

"As social media and email account hacking remains the most reported cybercrime this year, this Action Fraud campaign marks a critical issue for everyone who has online accounts. That’s why we’re raising awareness of the ways people can protect themselves online," explained Adam Mercer, Deputy Director of Action Fraud.

There are a couple of big threats that are causing the most concern. The first is when a fraudster gains control of an account and begins to impersonate the legitimate owner. The infamous “Hi mum” scam is a good example and has seen some people handing over vast sums of money to people they thought were family.

The other common method of hacking is when account details are gained via phishing scams, or the use of leaked information used from data breaches, such as leaked passwords. This can give scammers instant access to email accounts which can then be used to steal data.

So how can you avoid being the next victim?

Action Fraud says it's vital that users turn on 2-step verification. This security setting means no accounts can be accessed until a code is sent to a separate device owned by the user.

It's also important to check email accounts have a unique password that is different from all other accounts. Make sure your email is also tough to crack.

For example, if your current Gmail password is a name such as "liverpool", just add some extra characters and capital letters.

ORIGINAL PASSWORD: liverpool

MORE SECURE PASSWORD: L1ver_Po@l

“Follow Stop! Think Fraud advice and protect yourself online: enable 2-Step Verification on each online account you have – this will help prove your identity and stop fraudsters trying to steal or access your valuable information. Secure your social media and email accounts by ensuring each password is strong and uses three random words. Remember to never share your passwords with anyone else," added Mercer.

The latest warning is also being backed by the team at Meta who own services such as Facebook and Instagram.

“Scammers are relentless and continuously evolving their tactics to try and evade detection, which is why we’re constantly working on new ways to keep people safe while keeping bad actors out. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is one crucial example of how people can add an extra layer of security to their Meta accounts, to help reduce the risk of scammers accessing your accounts. We’ve also started rolling out facial recognition technology to help people get back into compromised or hacked accounts and are always working on new ways to stay ahead of scammers.”

Don't forget, if you spot any strange emails then simply send them to report@phishing.gov.uk. This could help block more people from being targeted.