The UK's Report Fraud service has launched a campaign to encourage internet users to adopt passkeys, following a significant rise in cybercrime profits linked to account takeovers. The campaign highlights that cybercriminals have increased their earnings from £1.2 million in the previous year to £6.3 million, thanks to email and social media hacking. Reports of these types of account takeovers have surged by 34 percent over the same period. One of the prevalent tactics involves scammers impersonating victims' family and friends to trick them into sending money. Another method involves using hacked accounts to sell fake tickets for sold-out events, with Oasis concert ticket scams being particularly common. Victims of such scams have reported losing an average of £346, with some losses reaching up to £1000.

Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf of Report Fraud emphasizes that hacking is a deeply personal issue for most victims, as it not only locks them out of their accounts but also exposes them to further risks like identity theft. The service recommends using passkeys, which provide a more secure authentication method by eliminating passwords that can be guessed or stolen. Passkeys use device PINs or biometrics, and are cryptographically linked to legitimate websites, ensuring that even if a website is breached, hackers cannot access the user's private key. Jonathon Ellison from the National Cyber Security Centre supports this move, stating that passkeys are easier and more secure, thereby enhancing national resilience against phishing attacks.

Despite the push for better security practices, a recent NordVPN survey shows that while 96 percent of UK participants understand how to create strong passwords, only 16 percent know how to store them securely in a password manager.