NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 13 – Kenya recorded a decline in suspected digital fraud rates during the 2024 Black Friday period, with cases falling from 12.6 percent in 2023 to 10.3 percent, according to a TransUnion analysis.
The report noted mixed trends across Africa, with Botswana’s fraud rate rising to 3.8 percent from 2.7 percent, while Namibia saw an increase to 6.1 percent from 7.2 percent. Meanwhile, countries like Rwanda, South Africa, and Zambia recorded declines.
Globally, suspected fraud during Black Friday dropped by 30.2 percent compared to 2023 and was 5.9 percent lower than fraud rates from January to November 2024.
TransUnion attributed the decrease to extended shopping periods and improved fraud prevention measures by retailers and consumers.
“Black Friday shopping now spans November, allowing better transaction monitoring,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director at TransUnion Africa.
Key fraud signals included unusually high transactions from single devices and new device associations with customer accounts.
