In collaboration with Statista, Sumsub launched its 2nd annual International Fraud Index, showcasing fraud traits throughout 100+ nations
Africa stays the world’s most uncovered area to fraud, with a median regional rating of three.84 on the Sumsub 2025 International Fraud Index, considerably increased than the worldwide common of two.79. The findings underline the continent’s continued vulnerability to digital and monetary fraud, at the same time as international efforts to strengthen fraud defences speed up.
The 2025 International Fraud Index examine was produced in collaboration with Statista, CryptoUK, Digital Belongings Affiliation, Vixio Regulatory Intelligence and MENA Fintech Affiliation. The Index, now in its second version, assessed 112 nations—up from 103 in 2024—throughout key pillars together with anti-fraud coverage frameworks and infrastructure, fraudulent exercise charges, useful resource accessibility, and financial resilience. Whereas the Center East (2.25) and Europe (2.13) demonstrated stronger fraud safety programs, Africa ranked lowest worldwide, adopted by Asia Pacific (3.50) and the Americas (2.83).
“The 2025 Sumsub International Fraud Index marks a pivotal second for digital economies — particularly throughout the Center East and Africa. As monetary ecosystems scale at document pace, we’d like fraud detection that strikes on the identical tempo. The sophistication of threats is rising in tandem with transaction volumes, making proactive digital resilience — constructed on intelligence, interoperability, and collaboration — completely important,” highlights Nameer Khan, Chairman – MENA Fintech Affiliation.
Inside Africa, Mauritius emerged as essentially the most fraud-protected nation, rating twenty second globally, forward of Botswana (46), Morocco (50), Tunisia (67) and South Africa (74). On the different finish of the size, Nigeria (110), Tanzania (108), Uganda (107), Rwanda (105) and Ethiopia (102) have been ranked among the many least protected nations globally, reflecting weaker institutional responses, low useful resource accessibility, and better publicity to on-line and monetary crime.
Whereas South Africa scored the very best within the area for the unemployment price within the 2025 Index, its place within the international rating has improved considerably since 2024: the nation climbed 9 positions, from 83 to 72 amongst 100+ nations assessed.
The 2025 version marks the primary time Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria have been assessed, broadening the examine’s African protection. Throughout the area, Senegal ranked lowest for useful resource accessibility, highlighting systemic constraints in human and technical capability to fight rising fraud typologies.
“Fraud is evolving quicker than many nationwide programs can reply,” says Hannes Bezuidenhout, VP of Gross sales for Africa at Sumsub. He additional states that “Africa’s digital acceleration presents immense alternative — but in addition exposes structural weaknesses that have to be addressed by means of coverage harmonisation and enhanced technology-driven defences.”
Globally, the 5 most protected nations are Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands, reflecting robust institutional safeguards, excessive digital literacy, and sturdy regulatory frameworks. In distinction, Pakistan (112), Indonesia (111), and Nigeria (110) occupied the underside positions, underscoring persistent governance and capability challenges.
Within the Center East, Israel recorded the area’s lowest fraud publicity, whereas Lebanon had the very best. The Americas noticed Canada as essentially the most safe and Brazil as essentially the most weak, whereas the USA fell by 36 positions however maintained its international management in AI readiness—a key consider automated fraud detection. Within the Asia Pacific, New Zealand led regional efficiency, whereas Pakistan was the least protected globally for the second consecutive yr.
The report additionally highlighted main international shifts between 2024 and 2025. Singapore, final yr’s prime performer, dropped from #1 to #10, whereas Morocco climbed 27 locations to rank fiftieth, and Thailand improved 25 positions to thirty third, reflecting focused anti-fraud reforms. Conversely, Malaysia fell 52 locations, suggesting declining resilience amid rising digital threats.
Sumsub’s examine emphasizes that Africa’s weak fraud safety index doesn’t solely replicate poor efficiency however slightly underscores the pressing want for funding in digital infrastructure, coordinated regulatory frameworks, and capability constructing throughout each private and non-private sectors.
As Africa deepens its digital and monetary integration, the report’s findings sign each urgency and alternative. Constructing resilient programs would require better collaboration amongst governments, monetary establishments, and expertise suppliers to modernise regulatory frameworks, improve data-sharing, and embed fraud prevention into the continent’s fast-expanding digital financial system. Bridging these structural gaps will likely be key for Africa to strengthen belief, safeguard innovation, and converge with international safety requirements.
“This yr’s International Fraud Index reveals that fraud safety isn’t about geography, it’s about governance. On the identical time, fraudsters are getting their arms on more and more highly effective AI instruments. What was as soon as a distinct segment menace has turn out to be commonplace”, mentioned Timothy Owens, Tech and AI Trade Skilled, and Senior Analysis Lead Expertise and TeleCommunications at Statista. “For expertise leaders, the message is obvious: deal with fraud publicity like system uptime. It requires fixed monitoring. Verification programs, info sharing between organisations, and sturdy incident response aren’t non-obligatory anymore; they’re elementary elements of working in at present’s digital surroundings.”
To entry the free International Fraud Index examine and make deeper evaluation with nations’ comparisons, please go to this web page. You’ll be able to study extra in regards to the examine’s methodology right here.
About Sumsub
Sumsub is a number one full-cycle verification platform that allows fraud-free, scalable compliance. Its adaptive, no-code answer covers all the pieces from identification and enterprise verification to ongoing monitoring – rapidly adjusting to evolving dangers, laws, and market calls for.
Acknowledged as a Chief by Gartner, Liminal, and KuppingerCole, Sumsub combines seamless integration with superior fraud prevention to ship industry-leading efficiency.
Over 4,000 shoppers—together with Bitpanda, Wirex, Avis, Bybit, Vodafone, Duolingo, Kaizen Gaming, and TransferGo—belief Sumsub to streamline verification, forestall fraud, and drive development. The platform’s methodology follows main international AML requirements and laws, and Sumsub has extensively engaged with main analysis and public establishments just like the UN, Statista, and INTERPOL.
