SA lost R2.4bn to scams in 2025. Most started with a call or WhatsApp

South Africans lost R2.4 billion to fraud in 2025, and most of it started with a phone call, an SMS or a WhatsApp message, according to market research firm Yazi's 2026 Global Digital Fraud Study, reported by MyBroadband on 3 November.

The scams that cost the most were not the panicky "your account is blocked" calls. In 43% of South African loss cases, the fraud played out over days, weeks or longer.

How are scammers reaching South Africans?

Phone calls are the biggest entry point. About 35% of South African respondents, more than 600 people, said their fraud incident started with a direct call (Yazi via MyBroadband).

Source: Yazi 2026 Global Digital Fraud Study, figures as reported by MyBroadband.

WhatsApp is used as a way in 67% more often in South Africa than in the UK, the study found. More than 80% of people surveyed in both countries said they had experienced fraud, but South African losses were far heavier.

Who do the scammers pretend to be?

Mostly someone you already trust. In South Africa, 59% of respondents believed they were dealing with a trusted company (33%) or their own bank (26%), Yazi said. The firm calls this "relationship impersonation": fraudsters posing as bank staff, government officials or well-known businesses.

A live caller can answer your doubts on the spot, which is why calls work so well for bank fraud, the report said.

Why are WhatsApp scams so hard to spot?

They are slow. Almost half of South African cases (45%) began with an opportunity rather than a threat: an investment, trading, a prize or a job offer (MyBroadband).

The scammer builds a relationship over weeks, asks for a small amount, then more. Victims quoted in the study described being promised 50% profit in six months, sending money, and then being blocked.

Yazi says banks' fraud systems should watch for repeated small payments to the same new payee, not only one big panicked transfer.

How do you protect yourself?

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) and the banks give the same basic advice:

• Your bank will never ask for your PIN, password or one-time PIN (OTP) by phone, SMS, WhatsApp or email.
• If someone calls claiming to be your bank, hang up and phone the number on the back of your card yourself.
• Be suspicious of any investment promising big, fast, guaranteed returns, especially one pitched in a WhatsApp group or private chat.
• Don't keep paying "fees" to unlock a prize, job or payout.

What should you do if you've been scammed?

Call your bank's fraud line straight away so it can try to stop or trace the payment, then open a case at your nearest police station and keep the case number. Screenshot the chats and save the numbers before the scammer blocks you or deletes messages (SABRIC).