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- Among South Africans who said they lost money to digital fraud, one-third (33%) reported the losses were from third-party scams on legitimate ecommerce sites
- The highest rate of suspected digital fraud in the consumer lifecycle from South Africa occurred at account login in 2025
- Among sectors analysed, attempted transactions from South Africa with government departments were the most at risk of suspected digital fraud last year
South Africa had the highest rate of suspected digital fraud[1] among African countries analysed, with 3.0% of transactions involving consumers in South Africa being suspected of digital fraud during 2025 – slightly below the global average of 3.8%.
In 2025, the median reported fraud loss among South African consumers who said that they had lost funds to digital fraud (email, online, phone call and text messages) in the previous year, was R11,055 – the second highest in Africa, after Kenya, and well below the global median of R27,879.[2]
These are among the findings in the TransUnion H1 2026 Update: Top Fraud Trends report, which shows that South Africa’s digital fraud landscape has become more complex, with generative AI likely accelerating the scale and sophistication of criminal activity. This has enabled fraudsters to target both consumers and businesses with greater precision and speed.
South African consumers are increasingly facing co-ordinated, identity-driven and cross-channel attacks similar to those seen in mature digital economies. As a result, digital fraud has shifted deeper into the consumer journey: one third (33%) of South African consumers who said they lost money from digital fraud in the last year reported those losses stemmed from third-party seller scams on legitimate ecommerce platforms. This indicates that losses are not occurring because consumers transacted in a suspect or unsafe environment – but because fraudsters successfully embedded themselves into environments that appeared credible, familiar and trusted.
“This signals a market where criminals are exploiting established trust, active accounts and verified digital relationships, and is a clear break from global fraud patterns typically dominated by phishing and vishing – fraudulent phone calls or voice messages designed to deceive consumers into sharing sensitive information or sending money,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management TransUnion Africa. “In South Africa, fraudsters succeed where trust is already established, particularly inside mainstream digital platforms where consumers reasonably expect safety and legitimacy.”
“Criminals are weaponising both consumer trust and emerging technologies,” said Reddy. “As GenAI accelerates the sophistication and scale of criminal operations, the threat landscape is evolving faster than ever for consumers and businesses. Addressing this requires a new generation of identity centric defences that combine advanced analytics, adaptive authentication and multilayered digital fraud detection. Organisations must match fraudsters’ technological innovation to stay ahead of rapidly changing schemes.”
Chart 1: Most Prominent Cause of Fraud Loss
Percentage reporting losing money to these schemes among South Africans who said they lost funds from digital fraud in the last year.
| Type of Fraud | Percentage of Consumers Reporting Losing Money to Fraud Type Among Those Who Said They Lost Money to Fraud in the Last Year |
| Third-party seller scams on legitimate ecommerce sites |
33% |
| Social engineering |
26% |
| Account takeover |
24% |
| Stolen credit card or fraudulent charges |
24% |
| Money mule |
23% |
| Identity theft |
22% |
| Phishing (fraudulent emails, websites, social posts, QR codes, etc. meant to steal personal information) |
21% |
| Smishing (fraudulent text messages meant to steal personal information) |
19% |
| Vishing (fraudulent phone calls or voice messages meant to steal personal information) |
16% |
| Unemployment benefits |
15% |
Source: TransUnion consumer survey
Most Fraud Attempts Occur at Account Login
The suspected digital fraud rate for attempted transactions where the consumer was in South Africa declined from 4.3% in 2024 to 3.0% in 2025, a trend also observed globally. Nevertheless, this decrease does not necessarily indicate reduced criminal activity; rather, it may reflect a shift toward AI-enabled tactics designed to maximise return on investment.
South Africa is one of the few markets where the highest rate of suspected digital fraud attempts* happen at account login, with 3.0.% of account login attempts being flagged as potentially fraudulent, compared to 2.4% at account creation and 0.7% of financial transactions. This trend suggests that attackers are increasingly trying to compromise existing accounts, in contrast to other countries globally where new account creation is a key focus for fraudsters.
“This inversion tells a powerful story that criminals in South Africa are now targeting access using compromised credentials, SIM-swap-enabled entry and social engineering to take over existing accounts,” said Reddy. “This means that vendors and financial institutions need to expand their fraud prevention strategies beyond the new customer onboarding phase, continuing to implement verification throughout the consumer lifecycle – but without the unnecessary friction that will see genuine consumers seeking alternative sites.”
Findings from the survey also show that consumers most preferred top feature when choosing whom to transact with online is confidence that their personal data is secure, with 85% of respondents saying it was very important. This was followed by an easy payment process (80%) and ease of filling out forms or applications (72%).
“The fact that security is the top reported feature shows that consumers are willing to accept friction when completing digital transactions, provided it’s clearly linked to protection,” Reddy said. “As a result, security in South Africa is evolving beyond compliance and emerging as a key driver of brand trust and differentiation.”
Government Sector Most Affected by Digital Fraud Attempts
Suspected digital fraud attempts across Africa[3] in 2025 showed fraudsters focusing on very different industries depending on the country, reflecting local digital behaviours and opportunity points. Globally, the most vulnerable industry was video gaming, where 12.8% of transactions were suspected of digital fraud attempts. Across African countries analysed, gaming also recorded the highest suspected digital fraud rate, driven by Kenya, where 15.6% of gaming transactions were flagged – the highest rate observed for any industry in Africa.
In South Africa, the rate of suspected digital fraud where the consumer was in the country was the most prevalent among government transactions, at 12.5%, highlighting risks tied to public-sector digitalisation.
“Digitalisation has improved access to public services, but it has also created new risks for fraud,” said Reddy. “Fraudsters are leveraging official government branding and service-related messages to impersonate the state and deceive citizens.”
Chart 2: Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts in South Africa, by Sector
| Industry |
Suspected Digital Fraud Attempt Rate 2025 |
Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from 2024 to 2025 |
| Government |
12.5% |
+46% |
| Gaming (online sports betting, poker, etc.) |
11.5% |
+124% |
| Insurance |
7.8% |
+32% |
| Video gaming |
5.5% |
-29% |
| Financial services |
5.3% |
+16% |
| Communities (online dating, forums etc.) |
3.7% |
-42% |
| Logistics |
1.9% |
-98% |
| Retail |
1.1% |
-61% |
| Telecommunications |
0.6% |
-94% |
| Travel & leisure |
0.1% |
-78% |
“South Africa has entered an advanced fraud phase where criminals exploit trust, operate across channels and target established digital relationships rather than weak entry points. Fraud is increasingly occurring inside legitimate marketplaces and impersonated public services, while risk remains consistently highest at login, as it has been on an annual basis.”
“As criminals increasingly weaponise new technologies to carry out sophisticated scams, it’s more important than ever for consumers to safeguard their personal information and to review their credit reports regularly,” said Reddy.
“For businesses, the call to action is clear: fraud strategies must extend beyond compliance and onboarding controls to actively protect trust across the entire digital journey. Organisations that invest in adaptive authentication, identity intelligence and visible security at moments of access will be best positioned to reduce fraud, preserve customer confidence and differentiate their brands in South Africa’s digital economy,” she added.
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on a global survey of 12,730 consumers in 18 countries and regions from Nov. 20–Dec. 9, 2025, and intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions. To learn more about how TransUnion fraud prevention solutions can help businesses avoid fraud and prevent fraud losses, click here.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes South Africa, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H1 2026 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
[1] Suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion clients determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon client investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represent every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.
[2] Exchange rate calculated at R16.69 to the US dollar as per the exchange rate for 29 December 2025.
[3] TransUnion analysed the suspected digital fraud rate in its global intelligence network for the African countries of Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia.
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- 68% of South Africans reported they were targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from August to December 2024 but did not become a victim
- Phishing, smishing and third-party seller scams on legitimate retail websites were the most frequently cited methods consumers said fraudsters used to trick them
- In 2024, gaming (online betting, poker etc) had the highest suspected digital fraud attempt rate in South Africa
Sixty-eight percent of South Africans TransUnion surveyed from 21 November to 9 December 2024 indicated that they had been targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last three months, with 13% saying that they had become victims. Among those who said they were targeted, the most common reported schemes were phishing, where fraudulent emails, websites, social posts or QR codes are meant to steal personal data (33%), smishing where fraudulent text messages try to trick the user into sharing data (31%), and third-party scams on legitimate online retail sites (28%).
In a separate question in that same survey, one third (33%) said that they had lost money to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. Nearly one third (32%) of those who said they lost money reported it happening via third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail sites. This was followed by 26% who lost money via money mule scams where users are solicited to transfer or move illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else, and 23% who lost money via stolen credit card or fraudulent charges.
These and other findings came from research used for building the newly released TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, which shows how South African consumers continue to be targeted by fraudsters through a wide range of channels.
“With South Africa having the second greatest number of smartphone connections in Sub-Saharan Africa, with people using mobile phones to conduct their everyday business, connect with friends, or keep in touch with family, it’s easy to understand why digital fraud would be such a common tactic among fraudsters targeting this region,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud solutions at TransUnion Africa. "While cybercriminals will attack at any time using any channel, they appear to focus on channels most popular in the regions they are targeting.”
Nearly one third (31%) South African respondents indicated that they were not aware of being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud at all, which raises questions as to whether these respondents were in fact targeted, yet simply unaware of the threat.
Based on the TransUnion study, South Africa had the greatest percentage of respondents among countries surveyed in Africa who said they fell victim to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the second half of 2024. In contrast, Zambia had the lowest percentage of consumers who said they fell victim to fraud in the countries surveyed in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Table 1: Fraud Types Most Frequently Used to Target Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Last Three Months
| Country | Targeted and fell victim | Targeted but didn’t fall victim | Not targeted | Most reported fraud scheme |
| South Africa | 13% | 55% | 31% | Phishing |
| Kenya | 11% | 71% | 19% | Smishing |
| Namibia | 11% | 52% | 37% | Vishing |
| Rwanda | 10% | 57% | 33% | Money mule |
| Zambia | 9% | 70% | 21% | Smishing |
Source: TransUnion Consumer Pulse Survey of 1,000 people in South Africans in December 2024
Communities and Video Gaming Among Top Industries Targeted by Suspected Digital Fraud
Globally, TransUnion determined that communities (online forums and dating sites) experienced the highest rate of suspected digital fraud[1] attempts in 2024. Nearly 12% of all attempted transactions within communities last year were suspected to be digital fraud. This was closely followed by video gaming (11%), with gaming (including online betting, poker, etc.) at 8% and retail (8%) rounding out the top four.
The logistics industry, which has seen growth in shipping fraud (often perpetrated by organised crime rings), saw the greatest suspected digital fraud volume growth globally in 2024, up more than 100% over 2023. That being said, the fraud rate remains at a relatively modest 3%. Gaming also saw a significant year-over-year (YoY) volume change, up 20%. Telecommunications (-79%), insurance (-29%) and video gaming (-23%) saw the greatest decreases in suspected digital fraud volume YoY.
“Digital fraud on community platforms is by no means a new phenomenon. In 2024, it appears that fraudsters targeted these areas with a renewed vigour,” said Reddy. “Cybercriminals take advantage of the trust inherent on community-based platforms, and target members with a wide range of scammer solicitations, the most reported type of digital fraud in communities.”
For attempted transactions where the consumer or fraudster was located in South Africa, gaming experienced the highest suspected digital fraud rate in 2024 at 6.3% with an 8.1% decrease in the volume of suspected digital fraud from 2023. The only South African industries in which suspected digital fraud increased YoY were insurance and communities.
“It is encouraging to see that attempts at digital fraud have decreased across all but two of the surveyed industries in South Africa,” Reddy says. “Organisations that draw on identity, device and behavioural insights to help them interact with legitimate consumers while mitigating fraud risk are more likely to protect themselves and their customers from the scourge of digital fraud.”
Table 2: Highest Digital Fraud Rates Across Leading Industries in South Africa
| Industry |
Suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2024 |
Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from 2023 to 2024 |
| Gaming |
6.3% |
-8.1% |
| Telecommunications |
6.2% |
-58.5% |
| Financial services |
6.1% |
-29.6% |
| Video gaming |
6.0% |
-67.2% |
| Insurance |
5.6% |
166.5% |
| Communities |
5.0% |
4.0% |
| Retail |
2.9% |
-8.9% |
| Travel & leisure |
0.5% |
-87.0% |
Source: TransUnion TruValidate™
Fraud Comes with a Heavy Cost to Consumers
Consumers faced significant losses due to fraud. Among consumers TransUnion surveyed in 18 countries and regions in November and December 2024, 29% said they lost money due to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. The survey determined that the median amount those consumers said they lost due to fraud in the past year was R32,447. For those who said they lost money due to fraud in South Africa, the median stated amount lost was R12,518[2].
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from TransUnion TruValidate.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes South Africa, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
[1] The rate or percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation — compared to all transactions assessed. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represents every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.
[2] Based on the exchange rate on 6 Jan. 2025
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Suspected Digital Fraud Most Frequent at Account Login in South Africa, TransUnion Reports
- Money or gift card scams were the most prevalent fraud type from February to May 2025, reported by one-third (33%) of South Africans who said they were targeted with fraud
- Transactions with video gaming companies, where the consumer was in South Africa, were most suspected of digital fraud in the first half of 2025 among industries analysed
- Insurance sector experienced the largest increase in the volume of suspected digital fraud among industries analysed, over the study period
According to the newly released TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, the rate of suspected digital fraud[1] was the highest in the consumer lifecycle at account login for South Africa with 2.6% of those types of transaction attempts when the consumer was in the country being suspected of digital fraud in the first half (H1) of 2025. This aligns with a global trend of fraud shifting to account takeover attempts which typically occur at login. Globally, 4.3% of account login transactions in H1 2025 were suspected of digital fraud.
The report, which draws on proprietary data from TransUnion’s global intelligence network from billions of transactions from over 40,000 websites and apps and a consumer survey across 18 countries, reveals that fraud is growing.
“South Africa stands at a critical juncture in its digital evolution where opportunity and vulnerability intersect. As the nation embraces rapid digital transformation, the surge in online activity has inadvertently opened new doors for fraudsters, whose tactics are growing more sophisticated by the day. This convergence of accelerated digital adoption, economic strain and criminal innovation has created a complex risk landscape,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management TransUnion Africa.
According to analysis of TransUnion’s customers in its global intelligence network, digital account takeover volume worldwide grew 21% year-over-year (YoY) from H1 2024 to H1 2025, signalling a rapid escalation. The volume of digital account takeovers surged 141% from H1 2021 to H1 2025, underscoring persistent rise of this fraud type over time and reflecting the increasing sophistication of fraudsters who exploit stolen credentials and bypass authentication systems.
"As account takeover fraud surges, businesses can no longer afford solely reactive defences,” said Reddy. “The growing sophistication of fraudsters demands a proactive investment in layered security and identity intelligence. In today’s threat landscape, protecting customer accounts is not just a priority, it’s a business imperative."
Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud in Video Gaming
Among industries analysed globally, the video gaming sector recorded the highest percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts in the first half of 2025, reaching 13.5%. This represents a significant 28% rate increase compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring the growing vulnerability of this sector to fraudulent activity.
For transactions where the consumer was in South Africa, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts from February to May 2025 was the highest in video gaming at 7.7%. The greatest increase in the volume of digital transactions suspected to be fraudulent over that time was in the insurance industry, with a 154% uptick.
Chart 2: Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts in South Africa, by Sector
| Industry |
Suspected digital fraud attempt rate H1 2025 |
Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from H1 2024 to H1 2025 |
| Video gaming |
7.7% |
-1% |
| Insurance |
6.7% |
+154% |
| Communities (web properties like online forums and dating sites) |
3.2% |
-45% |
| Financial services |
3.0% |
-49% |
| Logistics |
2.1% |
-99% |
| Retail |
1.1% |
-57% |
| Telecommunications |
0.7% |
-96% |
Source: TransUnion global intelligence network
“As the risk from consumer scams threatens identity integrity, organisations should rely on a mixture of data, risk signals, technology and tools to prevent fraud,” said Reddy. “The Report highlights that business leaders rank[2] identity verification, device reputation and behavioural biometrics as the leading three fraud prevention technologies.
“Businesses and financial institutions should also invest in sustained education and awareness campaigns to mitigate against schemes like account takeovers. Preventing fraud must by necessity be a multi-pronged strategy, if businesses and consumers are to stay ahead of fraudsters whose strategies continue to evolve too,” she said. “By harnessing advanced technologies, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and prioritising consumer trust, South Africa can chart a path toward a secure and inclusive digital future.”
Consumer-Reported Exposure to Fraud Grows Amid Gaps in Awareness and Prevention
Globally, consumers continue to face a wide range of scams, with tactics often tailored to regional behaviours and vulnerabilities. TransUnion’s survey found that 48% of consumers surveyed globally reported being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from February to May 2025, with 59% of South Africans saying the same thing. Globally, 52% were unaware that they were targeted, as were 42% of South Africans, indicating potential fraud under-recognition and a gap in fraud awareness.
Consumers in five of the six African countries surveyed reported money or gift card scams as the most experienced fraud type. In South Africa money or gift card scams was the most common fraud type – reported by 33% of those who said they were targeted with email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from February to May 2025. Among those South Africans who said they were targeted, the next most frequently reported scams were phishing (31%), smishing (30%), and vishing (29%), with these three designed to deceive individuals into giving up their valuable personal or financial information.
South Africa Saw the Greatest Percentage of Respondents in Africa Indicating They Fell Victim to Fraud from February to May 2025
| Country | Targeted and fell victim | Targeted but didn’t fall victim | Not targeted | Most reported fraud scheme |
| South Africa | 13% | 46% | 42% | Money/gift card |
| Kenya | 10% | 71% | 19% | Vishing |
| Zambia | 9% | 76% | 15% | Money/gift card |
| Rwanda | 9% | 49% | 42% | Money/gift card |
| Namibia | 8% | 57% | 35% | Money/gift card |
| Botswana | 6% | 68% | 26% | Money/gift card |
Source: TransUnion consumer survey
“As scammers continue to evolve their tactics to enrich themselves, it’s more important than ever for consumers to regularly review their credit reports to ensure all listed information is accurate,” said Reddy.”
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud and data breaches based on intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions. To learn more about how TransUnion fraud prevention solutions can help businesses avoid fraud and prevent fraud losses, click here.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes South Africa, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
[1] Suspected digital fraud attempts reflect those which TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation.
[2] As found by TransUnion’s online business survey conducted from 29 May to 6 June 2025 in partnership with third-party research provider, Dynata. Findings were included in TransUnion’s H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report
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