West Africa Leads in Biometric Fraud Cases in 2024, Smile ID Report Finds

...Report Highlights a Surge in Biometric Spoofing and Rising Fraud Losses Across Africa

West Africa recorded the highest number of biometric fraud cases in 2024, with rejection rates surging to 22% from 12% in 2023, according to Smile ID’s 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report. This sharp increase is largely driven by a 15% rise in biometric spoof attempts, underscoring the growing sophistication of fraudsters exploiting digital identity systems.

Smile ID, Africa’s leading identity verification provider, analyzed over 110 million identity checks across Central, East, West, and Southern Africa, revealing key fraud trends and vulnerabilities. While biometric verification has reduced overall fraud rates during KYC checks to 25% (a 4-percentage-point decline), fraudsters have adapted with more advanced attack techniques, resulting in millions of dollars in financial losses.

Notably, fraud losses in Nigerian banks skyrocketed to N42.6 billion in Q2 2024 alone, surpassing the total N9.4 billion recorded in all of 2023, according to FITC.

Key Findings from the Report:

• East Africa recorded the highest biometric and document rejection rates at 27%, while Central and West Africa followed at 22%, and Southern Africa at 21%.
• Biometric fraud attempts hit a quarterly average of 16%, marking the highest level in three years.
• Authentication fraud rates were four times higher than registration fraud, signaling a growing threat of account takeovers.
• Fraudulent activities peaked between 8 PM and 4 AM WAT, with the highest concentration at 12 AM WAT.
• The Future of Fraud Prevention

Commenting on the findings, Mark Straub, CEO of Smile ID, emphasized the role of AI in both enabling and combating fraud: “The future of fraud prevention lies in adaptability. While AI provides fraudsters with powerful new tools, it also empowers security teams to counter zero-day attacks and automate traditionally manual processes.”

As African businesses continue to navigate evolving fraud risks, Smile ID’s report provides critical insights and actionable strategies to safeguard trust, revenue, and operational resilience in 2025.

“Fintech platforms with weak KYC protocols remain the most vulnerable, as these bad actors use identity farming to create fraudulent accounts that conceal the origins of illicit funds. Tackling these vulnerabilities requires collaboration between industries, governments, and technology providers to create a safer digital ecosystem.”

The report's launch builds on the recent introduction of Enhanced SmartSelfie™, an advanced biometric verification technology built to withstand advanced fraud attempts, including deepfakes, AI-generated faces, and replay videos. If paired with a unified approach, African businesses can secure their operations, build trust, and drive economic growth.

Founded in 2017, Smile ID has revolutionised identity verification in Africa, completing over 200 million verification checks by November 2024. As the continent’s leading provider of digital identity verification, fraud detection, and KYC compliance solutions, the company delivers scalable, Africa-focused tools optimised for real-time onboarding, anti-fraud measures, and AI-driven identity verification. Backed by investors like Costanoa Ventures and CRE Venture Capital, the company catalyses Africa’s digital economy by enabling businesses, governments, and individuals to build trust in underserved markets.

The full 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa report can be downloaded for free here.