More Than 40% of South Africans Were Scammed in 2025

More Than 40% of South Africans Were Scammed in 2025 reports on a widespread exposure to scams across the country, based on data from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). In the 12 months up to early 2025, 77% of South African respondents fell victim to a scam and 42% of those affected lost real money, with average losses around $130 (R2,563.90).

Globally, about 41% of people in Africa reported losing money to scams during the two survey periods, and extrapolations based on a nationally representative sample suggest roughly 17.5 million South Africans have been scammed. The article notes the average victim faced about 2.2 compromises in the year studied, and, despite 98% of respondents taking some proactive checks, loss and frequency remain high, with total extrapolated scam earnings in South Africa around $2.3 billion.

According to GASA, law enforcement reporting is low and cross-border enforcement coordination is needed to disrupt scam networks, which tend to operate regionally and adapt to local conditions. The piece, written by Nate Nelson, was published on 19 February 2026.