“Nigeria Ranked As Most Spammed Country In Africa” — Truecaller

 

Nigeria has emerged as the most spammed country in Africa, with more than half of all unknown calls received by Nigerians in 2025 identified as spam or fraudulent, according to a new report by Truecaller.

Data released by the global caller identification and spam-blocking platform showed that 51 per cent of all unknown calls received in Nigeria were flagged as spam or fraud, placing the country eighth globally and ahead of other African countries including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia.

The report stated that while financial service impersonation accounts for a large share of spam calls in countries such as Indonesia and Mexico, Nigeria’s spam landscape is largely driven by telecom and operator-linked outreach.

According to the findings, telecom-related calls accounted for 35 per cent of all spam calls recorded in Nigeria, the highest single-category concentration in Africa. Sales and telemarketing represented 10 per cent, while scams accounted for six per cent.

The report noted that the growing volume of automated calls and unverified outreach from telecom-linked agents is making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to distinguish between legitimate calls and fraudulent attempts.

It explained that many users are now unable to determine whether an unknown caller is a network provider confirming a service, a third-party marketer offering loans, or a fraudster impersonating a trusted operator.

Truecaller observed that the development mirrors a similar pattern in Brazil, where operator-linked calls also dominate the spam ecosystem.

Globally, Indonesia ranked as the most spammed country in the world, with 79 per cent of unknown calls identified as spam in 2025, followed by Chile at 70 per cent. Vietnam, Brazil and India completed the global top five.

The report added that across parts of South America and Southeast Asia, automated systems now account for more than 70 per cent of unknown calls in some markets.

It further revealed that the Middle East and Africa region crossed 100 million monthly active users on the platform in late 2025, with Africa emerging as one of Truecaller’s fastest-growing markets.

Commenting on the development, chief executive officer of Truecaller, Rishit Jhunjhunwala, said the scale of fraud and impersonation calls should be a major concern.

“The scale of what this data shows should concern everyone. Fraud, impersonation, and scams are affecting people’s daily lives in a way we have never seen before. In some countries, most unknown calls are now spam, that is a fundamental breakdown in how communication works,” he said.

Jhunjhunwala added that the company’s focus in 2026 would be on stopping fraud before it reaches users.

Truecaller disclosed that it crossed 500 million monthly active users globally on March 31, 2026, with more than 150 million users outside India.