Nearly two-thirds of Rwandans were targeted by cyber fraud schemes over a three-month period, underscoring the growing threat posed by digital financial crime as the country continues to expand access to online financial services.
The findings are contained in the latest TransUnion Consumer Pulse Study for the first quarter of 2026, conducted by TransUnion Rwanda between February 10 and March 9 among 259 Rwandans aged 18 and above.
According to the survey, 62% of respondents said they had been targeted by at least one online or phone-based fraud attempt in the three months preceding the study, while 9% reported that they had actually fallen victim to the scams.
Despite the rise in fraud attempts, TransUnion Rwanda Managing Director Didier Mutabazi said there have been significant improvements in fraud prevention across the country’s digital financial ecosystem.
“The data shows that important progress has been made in preventing fraud related to digital financial services,” Mutabazi said. “This reflects the government’s continued efforts to support financial service providers and strengthen the security of financial transactions.”
The survey identified fake prize or cash offers as the most common type of scam, affecting 43% of respondents. This was followed by voice phishing (vishing) phone calls at 30%, merchant-related fraud at 29%, and phishing websites designed to steal personal information at 27%.
The report also shows that consumers are becoming more proactive in protecting their financial information when they receive alerts about potential data breaches.
Among respondents who were notified that their account information had been accessed without authorization, 55% immediately changed the password for the affected account, 43% reviewed their accounts for suspicious activity, and 38% updated passwords on other accounts as a precaution.
Additionally, 26% suspended payment methods linked to compromised accounts, while 20% temporarily froze access to their credit information. Only 3% said they took no action after being informed that their personal data may have been compromised.
The survey further found that, within the 60 days before it was conducted, 64% of respondents had changed at least one password, 38% had enabled stronger account protection measures such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication, and 30% had reviewed their credit information to check for signs of fraud.
However, 16% admitted they had not taken any cybersecurity precautions during that period. Of those, 70% said they did not know what measures to take to protect themselves, while 23% said they found the volume of online security information confusing.
The findings highlight both the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals and the growing need for digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness as Rwanda accelerates the adoption of digital financial services.
