A new report has identified mobile money as the leading channel exploited by criminals to defraud Kenyans, highlighting the growing role of phone-based transactions in the country’s fraud landscape.
The findings are contained in a report by the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), which details the most common fraud schemes and channels recorded in Kenya during the first six months of 2026.
According to the report, mobile money fraud accounted for 18.6 per cent of all cases documented, making it the most prevalent fraud scheme among those reviewed.
Mobile money platforms also emerged as the most commonly used destination for illicit funds, appearing in 51 of the 102 cases analysed by the committee.
The figure represents exactly half of the documented cases, underscoring the extent to which criminals rely on mobile-based transactions to receive or move funds obtained through fraudulent activities.
Investment and forex scams ranked second, with 16 cases accounting for 15.7 per cent of the total incidents recorded.
Cryptocurrency-related fraud followed with 12 cases, representing 11.8 per cent. The figure highlights the growing use of digital currencies both as a tool for fraud and as a channel through which illicit funds can be transferred.
Account takeover and impersonation cases accounted for 10 incidents, equivalent to 9.8 per cent of the total, while online shopping fraud recorded nine cases or 8.8 per cent.
Fake websites and phishing scams made up eight cases, representing 7.8 per cent, with criminals increasingly using cloned or fraudulent platforms to trick victims into surrendering sensitive personal information.
Impersonation involving brands, individuals and government agencies accounted for seven cases, or 6.9 per cent.
Advance fee scams, in which victims are required to make payments before receiving promised goods, services or benefits, recorded six cases, representing 5.9 per cent of the total.
Recruitment and job-related scams accounted for four cases, equivalent to 3.9 per cent, while SIM swap fraud was linked to three incidents, or 2.9 per cent.
Bank Transfers Second Most Common Payment Channel
The report also examined the channels used to move money linked to fraudulent activities.
Bank transfers emerged as the second most common channel after mobile money, featuring in 22 cases and accounting for 21.6 per cent of the transactions traced.
Cryptocurrency payments followed with 12 cases, representing 11.8 per cent of the total.
Card payments and other mobile money platforms accounted for smaller portions of the transactions reviewed.
The findings come against the backdrop of growing concerns over cybercrime in Kenya and across East Africa.
The Interpol 2025 cybercrime report previously placed Kenya at the top of the East African region in reported cybercrime cases and among the five most affected countries on the continent, behind Nigeria and South Africa.
The latest NC4 findings consequently highlight the increasing exposure of Kenyans to fraud schemes carried out through digital financial platforms, particularly mobile money services.
