At least eight out of 10 Kenyans have been targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last three months, illustrating rising cyber threats in the country.
The survey conducted by TransUnion between November 21 and December 9 last year shows that 11 per cent of those targeted become victims.
According to the report, the most common reported schemes was smishing where fraudulent text messages try to trick users into sharing personal data. At least 39 per cent of Kenyans were targeted by fraudsters through this means.
Phishing where fraudulent emails, websites, social posts or QR codes are meant to steal personal data was second at 36%, while vishing, where fraudulent phone callers try to induce the user into sharing data targeted 33 per cent.
Nearly half (45%) said that they lost money to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year.
More than one-third (34%) of those who said they lost money reported it happening via third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail websites.
This was followed by 26 per cent of Kenyans losing money via unemployment fraud and 25 per cent losing money from account takeovers.
The survey attributed the rising digital fraud in Kenya to high mobile phone penetration rate currently at 133.7 per cent.
"While cybercriminals will attack at any time using any channel, they appear to focus on channels most popular in the regions they are targeting,’’ said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud solutions at TransUnion Africa.
The report also attributed the high rate of attack to limited awareness on digital fraud, with 19 per cent of Kenyan respondents indicating that they were not aware of being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud.
South Africa led the continent in the number of attacks, with 13 per cent falling prey to fraudsters followed by Kenya and Namibia at 11 per cent.
In contrast, Zambia had the lowest percentage of consumers who said they fell victim to fraud in the countries surveyed across the continent.
Globally, TransUnion determined communities (online forums and dating sites) experienced the highest rate of suspected digital fraud attempts in 2024.
Nearly 12 per cent of all attempted transactions within communities were suspected to be digital fraud last year.
This is 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, saw the greatest suspected digital fraud volume growth globally in 2024, up more than 100 per cent over 2023.
The fraud rate remains at a relatively modest three per cent. Gaming also saw a significant year-over-year (YoY) volume change, up 20 per cent while telecommunications (-79%), insurance (-29%) and video gaming (-23%) saw the greatest decreases in suspected digital fraud volume.
“Digital fraud on community platforms is by no means a new phenomenon. In 2024, it appears that fraudsters targeted these areas with a renewed vigor, "Reddy said.
“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 Kenya, gaming experienced the highest suspected attempted digital fraud rate in 2024 at 12.9 per cent with a 3.8 per cent increase in the volume of suspected digital fraud from 2023.
