Nigeria tops Africa as spam calls hit 51% of unknown calls in 2025

Nigeria tops Africa as spam calls hit 51% of unknown calls in 2025

Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s most spammed country, with more than half of all unknown calls received in 2025 identified as spam or fraud, according to Truecaller’s latest Spam and Fraud Report.

The report released Tuesday shows that 51% of unfamiliar calls to Nigerian users were unwanted or potentially malicious — meaning one in every two calls from an unknown number is likely deceptive.

The figure places Nigeria 8th worldwide and ahead of other African markets by a wide margin.

Advertisement

South Africa recorded 30%, Kenya about 15%, Ghana roughly 11%, and Ethiopia around 9%.

What distinguishes Nigeria is not just the volume but the source.

Telecom and operator-related outreach accounts for 35% of all spam calls— the highest share of any African country in the report. Telemarketing and sales calls make up 10%, while outright scam attempts represent 6%.

This creates a confusing environment for users. When a large share of unsolicited calls appears to come from telecom agents, it becomes hard to tell the difference between legitimate network updates, marketing campaigns, and fraud attempts.

The overlap means users risk either engaging with suspicious calls or ignoring important ones.

Brazil is the only other major market with a similar pattern of operator-linked spam.

Nigeria’s experience reflects a wider global surge in spam communication. Indonesia leads the world with 79% of unknown calls flagged as spam in 2025, followed by Chile at 70%, up sharply from 51% just six months earlier. Vietnam, Brazil, and India round out the top five.

In parts of South America and Southeast Asia, automated systems now generate over 70% of unknown calls.

Experts warn that the real cost goes beyond annoyance. High spam saturation erodes trust in voice communication, making it harder for hospitals, schools, delivery services, banks, and small businesses to reach customers. Missed calls translate into missed appointments, delayed services, and lost economic opportunities.

Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala said the scale of fraud and automated calling is fundamentally changing how people interact with phone systems.

“In some countries, most unknown calls are now spam, which represents a fundamental breakdown in trust. Our focus is to help restore that trust by preventing fraud before it reaches users,” he said.

Truecaller surpassed 500 million monthly active users globally on March 31, 2026, with over 150 million users outside India. [Rewritten report from Daily Sun]