East African IDs under attack as ‘digital’ identity fraud shoots up
In a studied period, Tanzania had the highest attempted fraud rate in the region, with about 32 percent of identification documents, mostly national IDs, used to onboard into digital platforms last year found to be ingenuine. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
Business and Technology Reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
Nation Media Group
Attempts to fake East African identification documents during registration of online financial service firms surged to a record high last year as fraudsters turned to digital identity fraud to swindle such companies.
A report by Know-Your-Customer (KYC) authentication firm Smile ID reveals that at least 16 percent of IDs uploaded for registration by users of various online financial services in East Africa in 2023 were either fake or stolen.
