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While South Africa continues to lead the continent’s online gambling market, a new study has revealed concerning trends in digital fraud. According to TransUnion’s 2025 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, released in June 2025, online betting and poker platforms have become prime targets for fraudsters.
The report, which analyzed data from November to December 2024, found that suspected digital fraud attempts in the igaming sector reached 6.3%, making it the most targeted industry in the country, even surpassing sectors like insurance and retail.
Notably, gaming fraud in South Africa has seen a significant uptick in transaction volume, increasing by 20% year-on-year. This rise occurs despite a general decline of 8.1% in the overall fraud rate, indicating that online criminals are increasingly focusing their efforts on igaming platforms, attracted by their high traffic and substantial stakes.
Speaking on the study, Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud solutions at TransUnion Africa stated, “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.”
33% of South Africans Losing Money to Scams
The survey also revealed that a worrying 68% of South Africans reported being targeted by various forms of fraud, including email, text, phone, and online scams between August and December 2024.
The most common tactics included phishing, affecting 33% of respondents, and smishing, which impacted 31%. Additionally, scams involving third-party sellers on legitimate retail websites accounted for 28% of reported incidents.
The financial toll of these scams is significant. Among those surveyed, 33% admitted to losing money to fraudulent activities over the past year. The leading type of scam was third-party seller fraud, followed closely by money mule schemes, which affected 26% of respondents, and stolen credit card incidents, reported by 23%.
“Cybercriminals take advantage of the trust inherent on community-based platforms, and target members with a wide range of scammer solicitations,” added Reddy.
Source: FocusNGN
