Truecaller app Picture: Truecaller
South Africa is entering the most dangerous period of the year for scam calls, SMS fraud and impersonation scams, with new communication-risk data showing a sharp increase in fraudulent activity between November and January.
According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) and industry-wide fraud monitoring reports, fraud incidents have risen 32% year-on-year, while 68% of South Africans say they were targeted by at least one scam attempt in the past 12 months (SABRIC Annual Crime Stats; Accenture Digital Safety Report 2024).
Crime
This increase coincides with seasonal spikes in online shopping, courier deliveries, holiday payments, year-end bonuses, stokvel pay-outs and travel coordination all conditions that scammers exploit to create urgency, fear and confusion.
To address this rising threat, Truecaller has launched a nationwide, festive season, scam safety campaign that is intended to educate the public, highlight South Africa’s most active scam patterns and equip everyday South Africans, with tools to verify communication in real time.
The top five scams based on real call-flagging patterns and user reporting expected to peak in December 2025 include
- Bank fraud department impersonation
- Mobile network SIM-swap scams
- Courier and delivery phishing scams
- Police impersonation
- IT support and device hacking
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SA a target
South Africa remains one of the most targeted markets globally for phone-based fraud, with call-spoofing, impersonation scams and AI-aided voice scams increasing globally (Interpol Global Crime Trend Report 2024).
“As South Africans prepare for year-end celebrations, Truecaller is encouraging a culture of digital vigilance and community protection. By understanding the tactics scammers use, and by relying on tools that verify communication, consumers can stay safer during this high-risk season,” Mmathebe Zvobwo, Director: Market Development – South Africa, Truecaller said.
Truecaller urges South Africans to stay alert and practice cautious communication over the coming months.”
Fighting back
Truecaller said it is helping South Africans fight back in with the app which uses”
- AI-powered caller identification
- Community-sourced scam reporting
- Real-time fraud pattern detection
- Verified Business Caller ID (green tick)
- Localised spam lists based on South African behaviour
According to Truecaller, its safety infrastructure relies on AI models trained to detect suspicious behaviour, identify fraud patterns and flag high-risk numbers.
“The system incorporates billions of data points from global scam reports, alongside community driven intelligence from users. In 2024 alone 320 million scam calls and messages were detected by Truecaller,” it said.
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