Nigel Farage has alleged that Russian intelligence agents hacked his phone to obtain confidential details surrounding a £5 million personal gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne.
The Reform UK leader became suspicious of foreign interference after the donation — known, party sources said, to only four people — was disclosed in the media last month. He instructed counter-espionage specialists to carry out a forensic examination of his device, the sources told the Daily Mail.
Farage told the newspaper: “These actions by Russia are deeply concerning and highlight the threat they pose to British security.”
Forensic investigation points to Moscow
The investigation concluded that hostile state actors with “near-certain links to Moscow” had deployed sophisticated spear phishing techniques to gain access to Farage’s phone, email accounts and banking information, according to a party source. The source described the attack as bearing “all the sophisticated hallmarks of a nation state actor using destabilisation techniques in the run-up to this month’s local elections”.
Spear phishing: how the attack worked
Spear phishing is a targeted form of cyber attack in which hackers impersonate a trusted contact of the victim — such as a colleague, associate or official — and send messages containing malicious links or attachments. Once the target clicks, software is installed that can extract sensitive data, including passwords, messages, financial records and location information.
Unlike generic “phishing” campaigns that blast thousands of random emails, spear phishing is carefully tailored to the individual. Attackers often research their target beforehand to make the communication appear legitimate, using known names, email addresses or even previous conversations. In Farage’s case, the forensic investigators determined that the techniques used were sophisticated enough to point to a state-level operation rather than a common criminal enterprise.
Reform sources suggested two possible motives. Farage has been a vocal supporter of Nato, a position likely to anger the Kremlin. Christopher Harborne, the donor, accompanied Boris Johnson on a visit to Ukraine shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, which may have drawn Moscow’s attention to both men.
Donation faces parliamentary inquiry
The £5 million gift was made by Harborne, a British-Thai billionaire based in Thailand whose wealth derives largely from cryptocurrency, including early investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum. He is also a major political donor, having given substantial sums to the Conservatives and the Brexit Party in previous years, and has donated approximately £22 million to Reform UK — accounting for roughly two-thirds of the party’s total funding.
Farage received the money in April 2024, shortly before announcing he would stand as a candidate in the general election. He initially stated the sum was for personal security and was “purely private”, not political. He later described it as “a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years”.
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has launched an inquiry into whether Farage breached Commons rules by failing to declare the gift. The investigation is examining whether it constitutes a registrable benefit received in the 12 months before his election as MP for Clacton in July 2024. Potential sanctions range from a formal apology in the chamber to suspension, which could trigger a recall petition and a subsequent by-election.
Farage has maintained he was under no obligation to declare the funds, arguing the gift “wasn’t political in any sense” as it covered private security costs during a period when he held no parliamentary position. Reform UK has said his office is cooperating with the investigation and that no rules were broken.
The Conservatives have also referred the matter to the Electoral Commission, which is considering the information.
Defence Secretary John Healey has written to Farage seeking clarification on whether any portion of the £5 million may have originated from dealings with Russian state-linked energy firms.
Separately, shortly after receiving the gift, Farage’s partner purchased a property for £1.42 million in cash. Reform UK stated that the property purchase process began before the gift was received and was proceeding independently.
Broader context of political hacking
If the allegations are proven, Farage would join a growing list of British politicians targeted by operatives from hostile nations. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was left “ashen-faced” in 2022 upon learning that suspected Russian agents had accessed a year’s worth of her messages, including sensitive intelligence regarding Ukrainian military strategy. The incident was reportedly kept secret by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. Russia has denied the allegations.
Boris Johnson similarly fell victim to hackers who released over 2,000 files from his time at Downing Street online last year.
George Cottrell, a senior adviser to Farage, also had his phone “critically compromised” while working for a pro-Nato party in Montenegro, with US intelligence sources said to have attributed the breach to Moscow.
A source at The Guardian, which first reported the donation, dismissed Farage’s hacking allegations as “an absurd claim and an attempt to deflect attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial affairs”.
The source told the Daily Mail: “Nigel Farage is once again hiding behind a baseless attack on the media rather than facing up to scrutiny from journalists and politicians. He has repeatedly failed to answer serious public interest questions about the £5million gift he received.”
