Nearly one in five young women and teenage girls in the UK have experienced abuse through digital financial products, according to research published by the charity Surviving Economic Abuse. The abuse takes multiple forms, from partners blocking access to online banking to taking out credit in victims' names without consent, causing lasting financial and psychological harm.
According to The Guardian, the nationally representative survey of young women aged 16–24, conducted with Ipsos UK, found that almost 700,000 people in this age group have been affected. The research reveals how abusers exploit banking apps, online payments and digital credit to control victims and trap them in relationships.
The scale of economic abuse among young women extends beyond digital finance. A 2025 survey found that nearly four in 10 women aged 18–24 had experienced economic abuse in the previous year, the highest rate of any age group, according to Surviving Economic Abuse.
How are abusers exploiting digital finance?
Abusers are using a range of digital financial tools to control victims. One in eight girls and young women surveyed had experienced a partner preventing them from accessing login information for online banking accounts, while the same proportion reported having their digital wallets controlled by an abuser. A further 7% had experienced someone taking out credit in their name without consent or because they felt unable to refuse, including through "buy now, pay later" lenders that often require minimal verification.
Becky, a survivor who spent more than a decade in an abusive relationship, described how her ex-partner exploited these vulnerabilities. She explained:
I had good credit at the time and he didn't. Even though I said no, he broke me down over many months and forced me to take out a loan in my name to pay for a holiday that he wanted to go on.She discovered that he had also obtained "buy now, pay later" loans in her name through the post.
There was no verification, it seemed like all he needed from my address and date of birth,she said. When she eventually left the relationship, the accumulated interest on the debt was substantial, forcing her to enter an individual voluntary arrangement that damaged her credit score for years.
Who is most vulnerable?
Rates of digital financial abuse are highest among disabled young women and those with caring responsibilities for children, the research found. Perpetrators deliberately exploit these additional vulnerabilities to exert control. The abuse has severe consequences: more than 40% of those affected reported financial difficulty as a result, while half experienced negative impacts on mental health including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
More than a third of victims said the economic abuse prevented them from leaving the relationship, trapping them further. One in six had been forced to borrow money from digital lenders such as "buy now, pay later" services and online payday lenders to cover essential items or bills.
What are the long-term impacts?
The damage extends far beyond the relationship itself. Becky described the struggle after fleeing:
When I fled, it was a huge struggle. I couldn't get a phone or wifi.She also highlighted the isolation that enabled the abuse to continue unchecked.
He also isolated me from my family and friends, so I had no one to reach out to.As a first relationship, she said she had no framework to recognise unhealthy behaviour, a gap she believes education could address.
Becky called for systemic change:
I wish that the government would make sure there is education about economic abuse in schools and in colleges. We also need to see banks building in extra layers of protection, particularly with the rising use of AI, they need to be responding to evolving perpetrator tactics.
What are experts calling for?
Survivors and experts are demanding action on multiple fronts. They are urging the government to integrate education about economic abuse into its promised financial education curriculum for young people. Financial services firms are being asked to remove opportunities for abusers to exploit digital financial products and to create additional protections for survivors, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in banking systems.
Sam Smethers, chief executive of Surviving Economic Abuse, characterised the problem starkly:
To halve violence against women and girls, we must tackle abuse where it happens, including through the digital financial products young women use every day.She added:
We also want to see financial services firms working with survivors and experts to design out abuse of digital financial products and build in protections. Without action, we risk leaving hundreds of thousands of young women to pay the price.
The charity and Ipsos UK's 2025 report recommended that the government fund the Flexible Fund with at least £2 million annually and invest at least £502 million a year in specialist domestic abuse services in England.
How is the government responding?
The minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, Satvir Kaur, acknowledged the significance of the findings.
This report shines an important light on a type of abuse that too often goes unrecognised and can take many forms, from controlling someone's money, to their choices, to their future.She noted that the government has set an ambitious target to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
Through our 'Enough' campaign, we are working with partners across society, including the banking sector, to help people recognise the signs of economic abuse, challenge abusive behaviour and support victims to access the help they need and deserve.
The financial services industry has also begun to respond. UK Finance published the third iteration of its Financial Abuse Code on 9 November 2026, updated to align with the FCA's Consumer Duty and guide firms in supporting victim-survivors' financial independence.
Key Facts
- Almost one in five young women and girls aged 16–24 in the UK – approximately 700,000 people – have experienced digital financial abuse
- One in three young women experience economic abuse overall, with disabled women and those with caring responsibilities facing the highest rates
- More than 40% of victims reported financial difficulty and half experienced negative mental health impacts including anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts
- More than a third of victims said the abuse prevented them from leaving the relationship
- 7% of respondents had experienced someone taking out credit in their name without consent, often through "buy now, pay later" lenders requiring minimal verification
