Eastern African nations have emerged among the most vulnerable to fraud globally, according to the 2025 Global Fraud Index.

Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia ranked near the bottom of the 112-country assessment, highlighting systemic weaknesses in digital and financial crime prevention across the region.

Tanzania ranked lowest in the region, placed 108th out of 112 countries. Uganda followed at 107th, while Rwanda and Ethiopia came in at 105th and 107th respectively.

These rankings reflect weak institutional responses, limited access to resources, and heightened vulnerability to online and financial crime.

This stands in contrast to other African regions. Mauritius emerged the continent’s most fraud-protected country, ranking 22nd globally, ahead of Botswana (46th), Morocco (50th), Tunisia (67th), and South Africa (74th).

Kenya, assessed for the first time this year, was East Africa’s highest-ranked country at 99th, while Nigeria—West Africa’s economic powerhouse—finished near the bottom at 110th.

According to the Sumsub 2025 Global Fraud Index, released on Tuesday in collaboration with Statista, Africa’s average fraud exposure score of 3.84 significantly exceeds the global average of 2.79.

Other contributors to the study included CryptoUK, the Digital Assets Association, Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, and the MENA Fintech Association. The index assessed anti-fraud policy frameworks, infrastructure, fraud prevalence, resource accessibility, and economic resilience.

While Europe (2.13) and the Middle East (2.25) demonstrated stronger fraud protection systems, Africa ranked lowest globally, followed by Asia Pacific (3.50) and the Americas (2.83).

The 2025 edition marked the first inclusion of Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria, expanding the study’s African coverage.

Senegal ranked lowest for resource accessibility, highlighting systemic constraints in human and technical capacity to address emerging fraud typologies.“Fraud is evolving faster than many national systems can respond,” said Hannes Bezuidenhout, Vice President of Sales for Africa at Sumsub, a global identity verification service provider.“Africa’s digital acceleration presents immense opportunity, but also exposes structural weaknesses that must be addressed through policy harmonisation and enhanced technology-driven defences,” he added.

The report also highlighted major global shifts between 2024 and 2025. Singapore, last year’s top performer, dropped to 10th place, while Morocco climbed 27 positions to 50th, and Thailand rose 25 places to 33rd—reflecting targeted anti-fraud reforms. Conversely, Malaysia fell 52 places, suggesting declining resilience amid rising digital threats.

Sumsub’s study emphasised that Africa’s low fraud protection score does not solely reflect poor performance, but rather underscores the urgent need for investment in digital infrastructure, coordinated regulatory frameworks, and capacity building across both public and private sectors.

Officials at Uganda’s Financial Technology Service Providers Association (FITSPA), which participated in the study, noted that as economies become increasingly digital, the fintech ecosystems powering these digital marketplaces are equally at risk and must grow sustainably and securely.

Uganda’s inclusion in the index for the first time provides valuable benchmarks for national leaders to assess vulnerabilities and identify areas for improvement, said George Wilson Ssenkande, FITSPA’s membership and programmes lead.“These findings are a wake-up call for stronger collaboration between fintechs, regulators, and government institutions to build a more resilient, digital-friendly, and transparent financial ecosystem,” Ssenkande said.

Read: Gone in 12 months: How fraudsters stole $17m from Kenya’s banksSumsub echoed this sentiment, stating that as Africa deepens its digital and financial integration, the report’s findings signal both urgency and opportunity for economies to build resilient systems through greater collaboration among governments, financial institutions, and technology providers.

Such efforts will modernise regulatory frameworks, enhance data-sharing, and embed fraud prevention into the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.“Bridging these structural gaps will be key for Africa to strengthen trust, safeguard innovation, and align with global protection standards,” Sumsub noted. The company currently supports over 4,000 clients with fraud prevention, identity verification, and growth solutions.

Globally, the five most protected countries are Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands—each demonstrating strong institutional safeguards, high digital literacy, and robust regulatory frameworks.

In contrast, Nigeria (110th), Indonesia (111th), and Pakistan (112th) occupy the bottom of the index, underscoring persistent governance and capacity challenges.

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Julius Barigaba