Nigeria’s national identification document has been identified as one of the top targets for fraudsters in Africa, ranking 9th on the continent. This information comes from a report by Smile ID, an African identity verification startup, as part of their 2024 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report.
The report highlights a concerning trend in document fraud attacks, particularly focusing on national ID cards across various African countries. In 2023, South Africa’s national ID experienced the highest percentage of fraud attempts at 34%, making it the most targeted document. Tanzania’s national ID followed closely with a 32% fraud attempt rate, while Kenya’s national ID ranked third with 26% attempted fraud. Nigeria’s national ID recorded an 18% attempted fraud rate.
The report explains that national ID cards have become prime targets for fraudsters, accounting for 80% of all document fraud attacks in the last two years. Out of the top 19 most attacked document types, 11 were national IDs. The high prevalence of these attacks is attributed to the widespread issuance and mandatory nature of national IDs in most countries. The increased circulation of these documents raises the likelihood of them being lost or stolen, thus heightening the risk of document fraud.