African Identification Documents Prone to High Fraud Rates

Identity fraud poses a burgeoning challenge throughout Africa, resulting in substantial financial losses for businesses annually.

The predicament has become more pronounced with the escalating transition of financial transactions and commerce to online platforms.

Consequently, ensuring the thorough verification of identities is crucial to mitigate deceit and criminal activities.

Smile ID, a prominent identity verification startup based in West Africa, has released its 2024 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report, providing valuable insights into fraudulent verification attempts across the continent.

Since its establishment in 2017, the company has conducted over 100 million identity checks in Africa.

According to the report, the past two years have witnessed a substantial surge in fraud attacks targeting National ID cards, constituting a staggering 80% of all document fraud incidents.

Central and East Africa reported the highest identity fraud rates, reaching peaks of 29% and 30%, respectively. Southern Africa experienced a peak of 23%, while West Africa recorded the lowest fraud rate, peaking at 20%.

South Africa’s national ID emerged at the top of the list, with the highest fraud attempts at 38%. Tanzania secured the second position with 32%, followed by Kenya at 26%, and Uganda ranked fourth with 25%.

The report underscores the importance of going beyond regulatory compliance, emphasizing that businesses must exceed regulatory requirements to safeguard the integrity of their products.

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