By Peace Udugba
A phone call once implied a real person on the other end. In Nigeria today, that assumption is no longer reliable, as new data shows the country has become the most spammed in Africa.
According to a 2025 report by Truecaller, 51 per cent of all unknown calls received by Nigerians were identified as spam or fraudulent—more than one in every two calls. This places Nigeria eighth globally and first across the continent, ahead of South Africa at 30 per cent, Kenya at about 15 per cent, Ghana at roughly 11 per cent, and Ethiopia at around 9 per cent.
Unlike trends in other regions, Nigeria’s spam landscape is shaped largely by telecom-related outreach. The report indicates that telecom and operator-linked calls account for 35 per cent of all spam—the highest concentration for a single category in any African market surveyed. Sales and telemarketing make up 10 per cent, while scams account for 6 per cent.
This pattern complicates how users interpret incoming calls. With automated messages from network providers and third-party agents dominating call traffic, distinguishing between legitimate service updates, marketing pitches, and fraudulent attempts has become increasingly difficult. A single unknown call could be a genuine network notification, a loan offer, or a scam disguised as a trusted operator.
A similar trend has been observed in Brazil, where operator-linked calls also dominate spam activity.
Globally, the issue is even more pronounced. Indonesia ranks as the most spammed country in the world, with 79 per cent of unknown calls flagged as spam in 2025. Chile follows with 70 per cent, a sharp rise from 51 per cent within six months. Vietnam, Brazil, and India complete the top five.
In several countries across Southeast Asia and South America, automated systems now account for more than 70 per cent of unknown calls.
Within the Middle East and Africa region, Truecaller reported surpassing 100 million monthly active users by late 2025, reflecting rapid adoption across Africa, one of its fastest-growing markets.
Experts warn that beyond financial fraud, the growing volume of spam calls is eroding public trust in mobile communication. As users increasingly ignore unknown numbers, essential services—ranging from healthcare providers and schools to delivery services and banks—face challenges reaching their audiences. The result is missed appointments, delayed responses, lost revenue, and weakened customer relationships.
“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,” said Rishit Jhunjhunwala.
“In some countries, most unknown calls are now spam—that is a fundamental breakdown in how communication works. Our mission is to build trust in communication, and in 2026, we are focused on stopping fraud before it reaches people.”
On March 31, 2026, Truecaller announced it had crossed 500 million monthly active users worldwide, with more than 150 million users outside India.
The full Spam and Fraud Report, including detailed rankings and regional insights, is available on the Truecaller Insights platform.
