Suspected Digital Fraud Most Frequent at Account Creation in Botswana, TransUnion Reports

• Money or gift card scams were the most prevalent email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud attempt type from February to May 2025, reported by more than nearly half (43%) of Batswana who said they were targeted with fraud
• Transactions with gaming companies, where the consumer was in Botswana, were most suspected of digital fraud in the first half of 2025 among industries analysed

According to the new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, Botswana recorded the highest rate of suspected digital fraud^[1] in the consumer lifecycle at account creation. In the first half of 2025, 2.6% of account creation attempts by consumers in the country were suspected of digital fraud. This is in alignment with account creation fraud being the highest in the consumer lifecycle globally where 8.3% of those types of transaction attempts were suspected of digital fraud in H1 2025.

The report, which draws on proprietary data from TransUnion’s global intelligence network from billions of transactions from over 40,000 websites and apps and a consumer survey across 18 countries, reveals that fraud is growing in certain areas.

“In Botswana, the complexity of digital fraud attacks are accelerating as fraudsters leverage AI, impersonation tactics and social engineering to exploit gaps in verification and awareness,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud product management TransUnion Africa. “Our global business survey found that financial losses from fraud are growing, indicating that although some defence mechanisms are working fraudsters are shifting tactics, scaling up or moving into less defended sectors.”

According to analysis of TransUnion’s customers in its global intelligence network, digital account takeover volume worldwide grew 21% year-over-year (YoY) from H1 2024 to H1 2025, signalling a rapid escalation. The volume of digital account takeovers surged 141% from H1 2021 to H1 2025, underscoring a persistent rise of this fraud type over time and reflecting the increasing sophistication of fraudsters who exploit stolen credentials and bypass authentication systems.

"As account takeover fraud surges, businesses can no longer afford solely reactive defences,” said Reddy. “The growing sophistication of fraudsters demands a proactive investment in layered security and identity intelligence. In today’s threat landscape, protecting customer accounts is not just a priority, it’s a business imperative."

Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud in Video Gaming

Among industries analysed globally, the video gaming sector recorded the highest percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts in the first half of 2025, reaching 13.5%. This represents a significant 28% rate increase compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring the growing vulnerability of this sector to fraudulent activity.

For transactions where the consumer was in Botswana, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts in H1 2025 was the highest in the gaming industry, which includes online sports betting and poker, at 1.8%.

Chart 2: Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts in Botswana, by Sector

^{Source: TransUnion global intelligence network}

“As the risk from consumer scams threatens identity integrity, organisations should rely on a mixture of data, risk signals, technology and tools to prevent fraud,” said Reddy. “The report highlights that business leaders rank^[2] identity verification, device reputation and behavioural biometrics as the leading three fraud prevention technologies.”

“Businesses and financial institutions should also invest in sustained education and awareness campaigns to mitigate against schemes like account takeovers. Preventing fraud must by necessity be a multi-pronged strategy, if businesses and consumers are to stay ahead of fraudsters whose strategies continue to evolve too,” she said. “By harnessing advanced technologies, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and prioritising consumer trust, Botswana can chart a path toward a secure and inclusive digital future.”

Consumer-Reported Exposure to Fraud High Amid Gaps in Awareness and Prevention

Globally, consumers continue to face a wide range of scams, with tactics often tailored to regional behaviours and vulnerabilities. TransUnion’s survey found that 48% of consumers surveyed globally reported being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from February to May 2025, with 74% of Batswana saying the same thing. Globally, 52% were unaware that they were targeted, as were 26% of Batswana, indicating potential fraud under-recognition and a gap in fraud awareness.

Consumers in five of the six African countries surveyed reported money or gift card scams as the most experienced fraud type. In Botswana, money or gift card scams was the most common fraud type – reported by 43% of those who said they were targeted with fraud from February to May 2025. Among those Batswana who said they were targeted, the next most frequently reported scams were smishing (39%), vishing (39%), and phishing (38%), with these three designed to deceive individuals into giving up their valuable personal or financial information.

Botswana Had the Lowest Percentage of Respondents in Africa Indicating They Fell Victim to Fraud from February to May 2025

   ^{Source: TransUnion consumer survey}

“As Botswana’s digital economy accelerates, so do the risks. Fraudsters are exploiting gaps in awareness, infrastructure and security. The country has laid a strong digital foundation. Now is the time to strengthen it, and a coordinated response is essential. By leveraging data intelligence, AI-driven fraud prevention, cross-sector collaboration and public education, we can outpace emerging threats and build a digital ecosystem rooted in trust,” said Reddy. “A safer digital Botswana is achievable when trust becomes a shared responsibility. As scammers continue to evolve their tactics to enrich themselves, it’s more important than ever for consumers to regularly review their credit reports to ensure all listed information is accurate.”

TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from its array of TransUnion fraud prevention solutions. To learn more about how TransUnion fraud prevention solutions can help businesses avoid fraud and prevent fraud losses, click here.

Specific country and regional data in the report includes Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.

^{[1] Suspected digital fraud attempts reflect those which TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation.}

^{[2] As found by TransUnion’s online business survey conducted from 29 May to 6 June 2025 in partnership with third-party research provider, Dynata. Findings were included in TransUnion’s H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report}