Sixty-three percent of Namibians TransUnion surveyed from 21 November to 11 December 2024 indicated that they had been targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last three months, with 11% saying that they had become victims. Among those who said they were targeted, the most common reported schemes were vishing, where fraudulent phone callers try to induce the user into sharing data (30%), phishing, where fraudulent emails, websites, social posts or QR codes are meant to steal personal data (24%), and third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail sites (22%).
In a separate question from that same survey, nearly one third (31%) said that they had lost money to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. One third (33%) of those who said they lost money reported it happening from stolen credit cards or fraudulent charges. This was followed by 27% who lost money via third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail sites, and 21% who lost money via phishing.
These and other findings came from research used for building the newly released TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, which shows how Namibian consumers continue to be targeted by fraudsters through a wide range of channels.
“Namibia has a 110% mobile phone penetration rate, with people using mobile phones to conduct their everyday business, connect with friends, or keep in touch with family, so it’s easy to understand why digital fraud would be such a common tactic among fraudsters targeting this region,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud solutions at TransUnion Africa. “While cybercriminals will attack at any time using any channel, they appear to focus on channels most popular in the regions they are targeting.”
Thirty-seven percent of Namibian respondents indicated that they were not aware of being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud at all, which raises questions as to whether these respondents were in fact targeted, yet simply unaware of the threat.
Based on the TransUnion study, Namibia tied Kenya with having the second highest percentage of respondents who said they fell victim to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the second half of 2024 among countries surveyed in Africa. In contrast, Zambia had the lowest percentage of consumers who said they fell victim to fraud in the countries surveyed across the continent.
Table 1: Fraud Types Most Frequently Used to Target Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Last Three Months
| Country | Targeted and fell victim | Targeted but didn’t fall victim | Not targeted | Most reported fraud scheme |
| South Africa | 13% | 55% | 31% | Phishing |
| Kenya | 11% | 71% | 19% | Smishing |
| Namibia | 11% | 52% | 37% | Vishing |
| Rwanda | 10% | 57% | 33% | Money mule |
| Zambia | 9% | 70% | 21% | Smishing |
Source: TransUnion Consumer Pulse Survey of 308 people in Namibia in December 2024
Communities and Video Gaming Among Top Industries Targeted by Suspected Digital Fraud
Globally, TransUnion determined that communities (online forums and dating sites) experienced the highest rate of suspected digital fraud[1] attempts in 2024. Nearly 12% of all attempted transactions within communities were suspected to be digital fraud last year. This is closely followed by video gaming (11%), with gaming (including online betting, poker, etc.) at 8% and retail (8%) rounding out the top four.
The logistics industry, which has seen growth in shipping fraud (often perpetrated by organized crime rings), saw the greatest suspected digital fraud volume growth globally in 2024, up more than 100% over 2023. The fraud rate remains at a relatively modest 3%. Gaming also saw a significant year-over-year (YoY) volume change, up 20%. Telecommunications (-79%), insurance (-29%) and video gaming (-23%) saw the greatest decreases in suspected digital fraud volume YoY.
“Digital fraud on community platforms is by no means a new phenomenon. In 2024, it appears that fraudsters targeted these areas with a renewed vigour,” said Reddy. “Cybercriminals take advantage of the trust inherent on community-based platforms, and target members with a wide range of scammer solicitations, the most reported type of digital fraud in communities.”
For attempted transactions where the consumer or fraudster was located in Namibia, retail experienced the highest suspected attempted digital fraud rate in 2024 at 8.4% with a 68.5% increase in the volume of suspected digital fraud from 2023. There was a significant 111.8% increase in the volume of suspected digital fraud attempts in the travel and leisure industry YoY, albeit off a low base.
“It is encouraging to see that attempts at digital fraud have decreased across several of the surveyed industries in Namibia,” Reddy says. “Organisations that draw on identity, device and behavioural insights to help them interact with legitimate consumers while mitigating fraud risk are more likely to protect themselves and their customers from the scourge of digital fraud.”
Table 2: Highest Digital Fraud Rates Across Leading Industries in Namibia
| Industry | Suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2024 | Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from 2023 to 2024 |
| Retail | 8.4% | 68.5% |
| Gaming | 7.7% | 84.2% |
| Video gaming | 3.3% | -67.3% |
| Financial services | 1.6% | -75.3% |
| Communities | 1.1% | 8.5% |
| Telecommunications | 0.5% | -98.3% |
| Travel & leisure | 0.2% | 111.8% |
Source: TransUnion TruValidate™
*The volume of transactions in logistics, insurance and government was too low for inclusion in this study
Fraud Comes with a Heavy Cost to Consumers
Consumers faced significant losses due to fraud. Among consumers TransUnion surveyed in 18 countries and regions in November and December 2024, 29% said they lost money due to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. The survey determined that the median amount those consumers said they lost due to fraud in the past year was N$32,428. For those who said they lost money due to fraud in Namibia, the median stated amount lost was N$11,174.
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from TransUnion TruValidate.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes Namibia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.