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Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management, TransUnion Africa.
New Accounts in Kenya Increasingly Targeted: 4.4% Suspected Fraud as ATO Attacks Jump 21% Globally, TransUnion Report Shows
- TransUnion data shows Kenyan account-creation attempts were the most likely locally to be flagged as suspected digital fraud in H1 2025, with 4.4% of new-account attempts suspected of fraud, a trend that raises immediate risks of financial loss and identity theft for consumers and online businesses.
New findings from the TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, 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, reveals that fraud is growing in certain areas show 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.
Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud in Video Gaming
Kenya’s gaming sector including online betting and poker platforms recorded the highest suspected fraud rate across all industries at 10.4%, signalling a particularly exposed segment of the digital economy. Government services (7.5%) and logistics (7.8%) also experienced elevated suspected fraud rates, illustrating a broad set of digital entry points vulnerable to fraudulent account creation.
Chart 2: Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts in Kenya, by Sector
| Industry | Suspected digital fraud attempt rate H1 2025 | Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from H1 2024 to H1 2025 |
| Gaming | 10.4% | +49% |
| Logistics | 7.8% | -35% |
| Government | 7.5% | +44% |
| Insurance | 4.8% | -39% |
| Retail | 3.2% | -96% |
| Communities (web properties like online forums and dating sites) | 2.6% | -28% |
| Financial services | 2.2% | -56% |
| Telecommunications | 0.7% | -63% |
| Travel & leisure | 0.1% | -87% |
Source: TransUnion global intelligence network
Consumer-Reported Exposure to Fraud High 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 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.
Consumers in five of the six African countries surveyed reported money or gift card scams as the most experienced fraud type. 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.
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.
Kenya Had the Second Highest 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
“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. 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 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.
Download the TransUnion H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
