Kenya is one of the most targeted countries for digital fraud in Africa, with 4.4% of all new account-creation attempts in the first half of 2025 flagged as suspicious — according to a new report from TransUnion Africa.
- •Account-takeover attacks are also rising globally, with incidents rising 21% year-over-year and 141% since 2021, with a shift toward more sophisticated fraud tactics including AI-driven impersonation, social engineering, and stolen credentials.
- •Kenya's online gaming sector was the most exposed to fraud, with platforms for betting and poker reporting a 10.4% suspected fraud rate, up 49% from the first half of 2024.
- •Government services and logistics followed at 7.5% and 7.8%, respectively, trailed by financial services and telecommunications with lower rates of 2.2% and 0.7% respectively due to aggressive investment in cyber security.
“Despite high exposure, Kenya is advancing in fraud prevention as financial institutions are adopting AI-powered fraud detection, biometric verification and consumer education initiatives. However, more has to be done to combat fraud attempts in video gaming, where protections should include identity, device and behavioural analytics,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management, TransUnion Africa.
The survey, conducted between February and May 2025, found that 81% of Kenyans reported being targeted by fraud through email, phone, or text. Vishing (a type of scam where criminals call or leave voice messages pretending to be banks, government agencies, or companies to steal personal, financial, or login information) was the most common scam at 46%.
This was followed by money or gift card scams (45%), phishing (41%), and smishing (39%). Despite the high rate of targeting, only 19% of Kenyans said they were unaware they had been targeted.
Across Africa, Kenya ranked second for fraud victims during the period, with 10% of the survey respondents confirming they suffered losses. South Africa led with 13%, while Zambia and Rwanda reported 9%, and Namibia and Botswana recorded 8% and 6% respectively.
The surging rates of digital fraud highlight broader global vulnerabilities at the account-creation stage. Worldwide, 8.3% of new accounts are suspected of fraud, making it the riskiest point in the consumer lifecycle.
