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Lagos, Lagos State – By Prime Brief Media

Nigeria has been named Africa's most spammed country in the latest annual report from Truecaller, the global caller identification and spam detection platform, with 51 per cent of all unknown calls received by users in 2025 identified as spam or fraud.

The figure, released this week, places Nigeria among the top ten most spammed countries globally and represents a significant increase from previous years. Globally, spam and scam calls have surged, driven in part by the increasing availability of AI-powered tools that enable fraudsters to clone voices, spoof phone numbers, and automate mass calling campaigns.

Truecaller's data shows that financial scams remain the most common type of fraudulent call in Nigeria. These include fake bank alerts, impersonation of government officials, lottery scams, and investment fraud. The report also notes a sharp increase in "wangiri" fraud, where scammers place a missed call from a premium-rate international number, hoping the recipient will call back and incur high charges.

The findings mirror broader concerns about Nigeria's cybercrime landscape. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission recently disclosed that the country now records over 4,000 cyberattacks weekly, with estimated annual financial losses of about ₦12 billion. The Nigerian Communications Commission has repeatedly warned about SIM boxing and number spoofing, but enforcement remains challenging.

Cybersecurity experts say the Truecaller data should serve as a wake-up call for regulators, telecom operators, and financial institutions to deploy more robust call authentication frameworks and public education campaigns. "Spam calls are not just an annoyance; they are the entry point for sophisticated fraud that drains bank accounts and erodes trust in digital financial services," said Dr. Chinenye Uzoma, a Lagos-based cybersecurity consultant.

The NCC had not issued a formal response to the Truecaller report at press time.

Prime Brief Media is monitoring digital security channels and will report on any additional breaches or advisories.

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