More than 650 Argos customers had their accounts hijacked in May alone, as fraudsters exploited reused passwords to buy expensive items and collect them in store before the victims realised. Report Fraud recorded 652 complaints mentioning the retailer that month – a 323% increase on the 154 reports logged in April. Since January 2026, the organisation has received 1,175 reports linked to Argos, with May seeing the highest monthly total so far.
Criminals are obtaining login credentials from previous data breaches and testing them on popular retail sites, betting that shoppers have recycled the same password. Once inside, they place orders – often using click-and-collect – and retrieve the goods from stores while the account holder remains unaware. Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend, told Newspage: “These scams exploit familiar and trusted shopping experiences that retailers spend years trying to build. The customer is not necessarily being tricked by a fake website or a suspicious text message. In many cases, criminals are using real login details to access genuine accounts, place real orders and collect the goods before the shopper realises anything has happened.” He added: “Password reuse is one of the biggest risks for shoppers.”
“Fraud reports involving Argos surged 323% in May as criminals used stolen passwords to buy goods via click-and-collect.”
Report Fraud confirmed that Argos is actively cooperating with authorities and customers to flag suspicious activity and bolster security measures. Detective Chief Inspector Steven Kettle, Head of Crime Services at Report Fraud, said: “Report Fraud urges anyone with online retail accounts to remain vigilant and be alert to any unusual or suspicious activity. It is essential to take appropriate steps to protect your accounts by following Report Fraud’s guidance. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Report Fraud via reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.”