British politician alleges Moscow-linked cyber attack on mobile, financial accounts

The British politician Nigel Farage has claimed that Russian intelligence services hacked his mobile phone to access information about a controversial £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire, The Mail reports, citing sources.

They said the Reform UK leader became “intensely suspicious” that he may have been targeted by foreign state actors after details emerged last month about a donation made by Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne.

According to one source, only four individuals were aware of the gift, prompting Farage to send his phone for forensic examination by counter-espionage specialists.

The analysis reportedly concluded that hostile state actors—most likely linked to Moscow—had used spear-phishing techniques to compromise his phone, email, and banking accounts.

The source added that the operation showed “sophisticated hallmarks of a nation state actor” allegedly engaged in destabilisation efforts ahead of local elections.

Spear phishing typically involves attackers impersonating trusted contacts to trick victims into clicking malicious links that install spyware capable of extracting sensitive data.

The same source suggested Farage may have been targeted due to his support for NATO, while Harborne could also have attracted attention because of his association with high-profile visits to Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Farage told The Mail on May 24 that the alleged intrusion was “deeply concerning” and indicative of broader threats to UK security.

The original disclosure of the donation was reported by The Guardian, which Farage said was not involved in any wrongdoing. However, he also questioned the paper’s judgment and suggested it could affect future cooperation with Reform UK.

Separately, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is investigating whether Farage breached Commons rules by accepting the donation from Harborne shortly before his 2024 parliamentary bid. Sanctions for violations can include apologies in Parliament, suspension, or even triggering a recall petition and by-election.

Farage maintains that he was not required to declare the funds, arguing the payment was not political in nature as it covered private security costs while he was not an MP.

Harborne reportedly donated £12 million to Reform UK over the past year, and has also previously contributed to the Conservative Party under Boris Johnson, as well as to Reform’s predecessor, the Brexit Party.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey has called on Farage to clarify whether any portion of the £5 million may have originated from transactions linked to Russian state-affiliated energy firms.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov