2026 Digital Banking Fraud Trends in the UK

BioCatch’s 2026 Digital Banking Fraud Trends in the UK report highlights the most prevalent types of fraud and financial crime currently plaguing financial institutions in the country. It relies on data from nine UK financial institutions, which together serve more than 100 million retail banking accounts.

In this report, you’ll discover:

• Continued rise in social engineering scams: Reported scam cases in the UK increased by 62% in 2025, with purchase (+63%), investment (+34%), and romance (+47%) scams seeing the largest year-over-year gains.
• Stolen phones a growing fraud tool: Fraud linked to stolen devices in the UK rose 112% in 2025, as criminals exploited unsecured phones to bypass authentication controls.
• Phishing surge drives account takeovers: Phishing attempts jumped 140%, with credential-harvesting campaigns delivered via SMS, email, and messaging platforms often serving as the entry point for account takeover and other scams.
• More reported mules: UK banks reported 16% more mule accounts in 2025, reflecting both the growth of laundering networks and likely also improved detection techniques.
• Decline in malware and remote access fraud: Remote access fraud fell by 41%, and malware-related fraud decreased by 46%, as attackers shifted away from technical compromise toward social engineering. Download now and strengthen your defenses against fraudsters with BioCatch’s latest insights on the ever-evolving world of fraud and financial crime in the UK.

Download now and strengthen your defenses against fraudsters with BioCatch’s latest insights on the ever-evolving world of fraud and financial crime in the UK.