A new report has revealed which sectors in Kenya were hit hardest by digital fraud in 2025. New findings from the TransUnion H2 2025 update to the top fraud trends report reveal that fraud is growing in certain areas.
The findings were drawn from proprietary data on TransUnion’s global intelligence network from billions of transactions from over 40,000 websites and apps, and a consumer survey across 18 countries.
The report shows that account-creation fraud remains the highest-risk stage in the consumer lifecycle globally, with 8.3% of such transactions suspected worldwide.
Kenya’s elevated rate reflects the broader global surge, as fraudsters increasingly exploit gaps in digital onboarding using AI-driven impersonation, social engineering and stolen credentials.
Globally, digital account takeover (ATO) attacks continue to escalate. Data from TransUnion’s intelligence network shows a 21% year-over-year increase in ATO attempts between H1 2024 and H1 2025, and a 141% rise since 2021, pointing to sustained shifts in fraudster tactics toward compromising existing accounts.
“Account-takeover incidents rose 21% year-over-year in H1 2025; businesses should move from reactive to layered, proactive controls including identity intelligence and behavioural analytics to limit fraud losses,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management, TransUnion Africa.
Kenya’s video gaming sector hit hardest by digital fraud at 10.4%
Kenya’s gaming sector, including online betting and poker platforms, recorded the highest suspected fraud rate across all industries at 10.4%, a rise of 49% from the previous year, signalling a particularly exposed segment of the digital economy.
Also Read: American Who Splashed Millions in Kenyan Real Estate Charged in Ksh2.1B Fraud Case
The logistics sector followed at 7.8%, reflecting a 35% decline from H1 2024 to H1 2025. Government services experienced a 7.5% suspected fraud rate, increasing 44% year-over-year, while the insurance sector recorded 4.8% with a 39% decline.
Retail registered 3.2%, a 96% drop, illustrating a broad set of digital entry points vulnerable to fraudulent account creation.
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 81% of Kenyans saying the same thing.
Globally, 52% were unaware that they were targeted, as were 19% of Kenyans, indicating potential fraud under-recognition and a gap in fraud awareness.
Across Africa, South Africa recorded the highest percentage of consumers who were targeted and fell victim to fraud at 13%, followed by Kenya at 10%, where 71% were targeted but did not fall victim and 19% reported not being targeted.
Zambia and Rwanda each recorded 9% of respondents who were targeted and fell victim, while Namibia recorded 8%. Consumers in five of the six African countries surveyed reported money or gift card scams as the most experienced fraud type.
Also Read: New World Report Reveals Top Threats for Kenyan Businesses in 2026
In Kenya, vishing was the most common fraud type – reported by 46% of those who said they were targeted with fraud from February to May 2025.
TransUnion records high consumer-reported exposure to fraud
Among those Kenyans who said they were targeted, the next most frequently reported scams were money or gift card scams (45%), phishing (41%) and smishing (39%). Vishing, phishing and smishing are designed to deceive individuals into giving up their valuable personal or financial information.
“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 Reddy.
“A safer digital Kenya is achievable when trust becomes a shared responsibility. 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.”
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes Kenya, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
