Biometric Fraud In West Africa Triples To 15% In 2024

Smile ID has released its 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report, revealing a sharp rise in biometric fraud across the continent. West Africa recorded the most significant increase, with biometric fraud attempts surging to 15 per cent in 2024, three times higher than the under 5 per cent recorded in 2023. The surge is attributed to the growing reliance on biometric verification and the increasing sophistication of fraudsters exploiting security gaps.
Drawing from over 110 million identity verification checks across Central, East, West, and Southern Africa, the report highlights both progress and challenges in digital identity security. While biometric verification has helped reduce overall fraud rates in Know Your Customer (KYC) processes to 25 per cent—a decline of four percentage points from 2023—criminals have responded with more advanced attack methods, leading to millions of dollars in fraud losses.
Notably, fraud losses in Nigerian banks alone surged to N42.6 billion in Q2 2024, far exceeding the N9.4 billion total recorded in 2023, according to FITC. Other key findings from the report showed that East Africa reported the highest biometric and document rejection rates at 27 per cent, followed by West and Central Africa at 22 per cent, and Southern Africa at 21 per cent.
Biometric fraud attempts averaged 16 per cent per quarter, the highest recorded in three years. Authentication attempts had fraud rates four times higher than new account registrations, highlighting a growing risk of account takeovers. Fraudulent activity peaked between 8 PM and 4 AM WAT, with the highest occurrences recorded at midnight.
Reacting to the findings, the CEO of Smile ID, Mark Straub, emphasised the need for adaptability in fraud prevention, warning that while AI enhances security, it also provides fraudsters with new attack methods. He noted that fintech platforms with weak KYC protocols remain the most vulnerable, as fraudsters use identity farming to create fake accounts that obscure the origins of illicit funds. He called for collaboration between industries, governments, and technology providers to strengthen digital security.
To combat these threats, Smile ID recently introduced Enhanced SmartSelfie™, an advanced biometric verification tool designed to counter deepfakes, AI-generated faces, and replay attacks.